Protecting You -The Story-
by Alison-Fire
Summary: This story is based on my one-shot. Bella is devestated after the Cullens leave. But what if not all of the Cullens left? Jasper, the odd one of the group, comes back but not alone. Victoria, a vampire seeking vengeance, comes after Bella in an attempt to kill her. Will Jasper be able to protect Bella from Victoria? Will the wolves help? And can a romance possibly occur?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Twilight**_** nor **_**New Moon**_**. The words in italics are from the books by S. Meyer. **

**A/N: Happy Friday to everyone. I would like to welcome you all to my new story **_**Protecting You -The Story-**_**. It is based off of my one-shot **_**Protecting You -A JasperBella OneShot-**_**. It is a Bella/Jasper pairing and rated T. This is just the prologue, so it's a bit short. The chapters for this story will be long, but because they will be long, it will take a while for me to update. Read, enjoy, and review lovelies.**

"_Bella." His fingers lightly traced the shape of my lips. "I will stay with you – isn't that enough?"_

_I smiled under his fingertips. "Enough for now."_

_He frowned at my tenacity. No one was going to surrender tonight. He exhaled, and the sound was practically a growl._

_I touched his face. "Look," I said. "I love you more than everything else in the world combined. Isn't that enough?"_

"_Yes, it is enough," he answered, smiling. "Enough for forever."_

_And he leaned down to press his cold lips once more to my throat. (Twilight, page 498)_

I thought forever would be easy, simple. The task of getting to where Edward and I were currently at had been great enough. Wasn't I inclined to some sort of happiness now? Hadn't fate tested us enough?

The answer to my question was soon found.

"_Bella, we're leaving."_

_I took a deep breath, too. This was an acceptable option. I thought I was prepared. But I still had to ask._

"_Why now? Another year – "_

"_Bella, it's time. How much longer could we stay in Forks, after all? Carlisle can barely pass for thirty, and he's claiming thirty-three now. We'd have to star over soon regardless." (New Moon, page 68)_

With that, Edward left. He just left. And he took his family with him. For months I was in a comatose state, hardly eating and sleeping. I went to school, did my homework, went to sleep, and repeated the routine.

My conversation with Jasper shortly after prom returned. 'You are keeping yourself alive; it is your decision,' he told me.

If it was my decision, then surely I could decide not to live through this…this hell any longer. But could I do it? Could I take my own life?

'I'm trying to persuade you to not join my world in hopes of protecting you from the evil of it.' The words came floating back into memory. Could he possibly mean this? Could he have known this was going to happen? If so, why did he not tell me?

'I have experienced all of the ups and downs of my world, and trust me when I tell you there are more downs than ups.'

Or maybe, just maybe, he was warning me. Of course, the warning was not clear. Jasper was discreet in his opinions. However, I could not help but think it was there, just under the surface. Had he not, in fact, admitted that he was trying to protect me? Certainly, there was no way he could have predicted Edward's departure, but even if Edward had not have left, 'downs' could have come, in different forms.

That got me thinking. Edward leaving didn't seem like such a big deal anymore. I could now see why he left. His excuse of Carlisle's age was simply that: an excuse, one to get rid of me. I never should have tricked myself into believing something real could be happening between us. I mean, I'm mortal, and he's immortal. He was so against changing me that I would have remained human throughout the rest of our relationships. He didn't want to deal with me growing older and aging. So, he took the first rational option and ran with it.

Well, if he wanted to be that way, I wouldn't let him hold me back.

_It was a very strange kind of day. I enjoyed myself. Even at the dump, in the slopping rain and ankle-deep mud. I wondered at first if it was just the aftershock of losing the numbness, but I didn't think that was enough of an explanation._

_I was beginning to think it was mostly Jacob. It wasn't just that he was always so happy to see me, or that he didn't watch me out of the corner of his eye, waiting for me to do something that would mark me as crazy or depressed. It was nothing that related to me at all._

_It was Jacob himself. Jacob was simply a perpetually happy person, and he carried that happiness with him like an aura, sharing it with whoever was near him. Like an earthbound sun, whenever someone was within his gravitational pull, Jacob warmed them. It was natural, a part of who he was. No wonder I was so eager to see him. (New Moon, page 145)_

Jacob made me realize just what I had lost by spending the past few months in a state of depression. I saw how much Charlie was suffering. I knew he was worried, but at the time, I couldn't bring myself to change. Now that I saw the situation in a new light, I made a promise to fix our relationship. Along with fixing that I would have to work on reconnecting with my friends. I had abandoned them since Edward left.

_Mike didn't stop asking me question till lunch was over. Gradually, the others were able to start up their own conversations again, though they still looked at me a lot. Angela talked mostly to Mike and me, and, when I got up to dump my tray, she followed me._

"_Thanks," she said in a low voice when we were away from the table._

"_For what?"_

"_Speaking up, sticking up for me."_

"_No problem."_

_She looked at me with concern, but not the offensive, maybe-she's-lost-it kind. "Are you okay?"_

_This is why I'd picked Jessica over Angela – though I'd always like Angela more – for the girls' night movie. Angela was too perceptive._

"_Not completely," I admitted. "But I'm a little better."_

"_I'm glad," she said. "I've missed you." (New Moon page 157)_

Luckily, it didn't take much time to mend the two. My friends accepted me back rather quickly, and Charlie was relieved that I was no longer having nightmares. Everything was falling back into place.

Or so I thought. Little did I know of the two vampires lurking behind my every step, one set on killing me, the other protecting me.


	2. Chapter 1: Dealing with Jacob

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Twilight**_**. It belongs to the lovely Stephenie Meyer.**

Unfortunately, most good things come to an abrupt end. When I was just starting to enjoy my new-found confidence, things managed to go awry.

_I dialed, and then waited without high expectations. It caught me off guard when Billy answered on the second ring._

"_Hello?"_

"_Oh, hey, the phone is working again! Hi, Billy. It's Bella. I was just calling to see how Jacob is doing. Is he up for visitors yet? I was thinking about dropping by-"_

"_I'm sorry, Bella," Billy interrupted, and I wondered if he were watching TV; he sounded distracted. "He's not in."_

"_Oh." It took me a second. "So he's feeling better then?"_

"_Yeah," Billy hesitated for an instant too long. "Turns out it wasn't mono after all. Just some other virus."_

"_Oh. So…where is he?"_

"_He's giving some friends a ride up to Port Angeles-I think they were going to catch a double feature or something. He's gone for the whole day."_

"_Well, that's a relief. I've been so worried. I'm glad he felt good enough to get out." My voice sounded horribly phony as I babbled on._

_Jacob was better, but not well enough to call me. He was out with friends. I was sitting home, missing him more every hour. I was lonely, worried, bored…perforated-and now also desolate as I realized that the week apart had not had the same effect on him._

"_Is there anything in particular you wanted?" Billy asked politely._

"_No, not really."_

"_Well, I'll tell him that you called," Billy promised. "Bye, Bella."_

"_Bye," I replied, but he'd already hung up. (New Moon, pages 228 and 229)_

Jacob wasn't talking to me. He had used the excuse of being sick, but now that he was better, he had no justification for not calling me. What was really going on? Had the separation between us really have no effect on him? Was I the only one that suffered from this absence? And most importantly: why didn't Jacob call me back? Why was he avoiding me?

The events that lead up to me receiving those answers were not pleasant. In fact, I could very well live a happy, peaceful life without them occurring.

"_Laurent!" I cried in surprised pleasure._

_It was an irrational response. I probably should have stopped at fear._

…

"_Bella?" he asked, looking more astonished than I felt._

"_You remember." I smiled. It was ridiculous that I should be so elated because a vampire knew my name._

_He grinned. "I didn't expect to see you here." He strolled toward me, his expression bemused._

"_Isn't it the other way around? I do live here. I thought you'd gone to Alaska."_

…

_At that precise moment, I realized why he looked the same-too much the same. After Carlisle told us that Laurent had stayed with Tanya's family, I'd begun to picture him, on the rare occasions that I thought of him at all, with the same golden eyes that the…Cullens-I forced the name out, wincing-had. That all __good__ vampires had._

…

"_Did Victoria ever find you?" I asked, breathless, desperate to distract him. It was the first question that had popped into my head, and I regretted it as soon as the words were spoken. Victoria-who __had__ hunted me with James, and then disappeared-was not someone I wanted to think of at this particular moment. _

_But the question did stop him._

"_Yes," he said, hesitating on that step. "I actually came here as a favor to her." He made a face. "She won't be happy about this." (New Moon, pages 235 through 239)_

That was going to be it. That was going to be how my life ended: by the hands of a vampire my old family once trusted. And how ironic was it that he was worried about the woman who had made it her mission to kill me? Laurent was only concerned about how Victoria would be upset with him.

Luckily, I must have been on some higher power's good side, because help arrived shortly after.

_I had to look then. My eyes scanned the meadow, searching for the interruption that had extended my life by a few seconds. At first, I saw nothing, and my gaze flickered back to Laurent. He was retreating more quickly now, his eyes boring into the forest._

_Then I saw it; a huge black shape eased out of the trees, quiet as a shadow, and stalked deliberately toward the vampire. It was enormous-as tall as a horse, but thicker, much more muscular. That long muzzle grimaced, revealing a line of dagger-like incisors. A grizzly snarl rolled out from between the teeth, rumbling across the clearing like a prolonged crack of thunder._

…

…_the mammoth wolf was not alone. Flanking it on either side, another two gigantic beasts prowled silently into the meadow. One was a deep gray, the other brown, neither one quite as tall as the first. The gray wolf came through the trees only a few feet from me, its eyes locked on Laurent._

_Before I could even react, two more wolves followed, lined up in a V, like geese flying south. Which meant that the rusty brown monster that shrugged through the brush last was close enough for me to touch. _

_I gave an involuntary gasp and jumped back-which was the stupidest thing I could have done. I froze again, waiting for the wolves to turn on me, the much weaker of the available prey. I wished briefly that Laurent would get on with it and crush the wolf pack-it should be so simple for him. I guessed that, between the two choices before me, being eaten by wolves was almost certainly the worse option._

_The wolf closest to me, the reddish brown one, turned its head slightly at the sound of my gasp._

_The wolf's eyes were dark, nearly black. It gazed at me for a fraction of a second, the deep eyes seeming too intelligent for a wild animal. _

_As it stared at me, I suddenly thought of Jacob-again, with gratitude. (New Moon, pages 243 and 244)_

If I had only known how close my thoughts were to the actual truth. I later found out that my best friend was a werewolf, part of a Native American tribe with a history of magic. The magic was being able to phase into horse-sized wolves. Boy, did I feel special to have such luck with the supernatural.

I was grateful to the pack, though. They had saved my life from Laurent. He was easily destroyed or so they bragged.

_Jacob blinked twice, and cocked his head to one side. "Who's Laurent?"_

_I tried to sort out the chaos in my head so that I could answer. "You know-you saw him in the meadow. You were there…" The words came out in a wondering tone as it all sunk in. "You were there, and you kept him from killing me…"_

"_Oh, the black-haired leech?" He grinned, a tight, fierce grin. "Was that his name?"_

_I shuddered. "What were you thinking?" I whispered. "He could have killed you! Jake, you don't realize how dangerous-"_

_Another laugh interrupted me. "Bella, one lone vampire isn't much of a problem for a pick as big as ours. It was so easy, it was hardly even fun!"_

"_What was so easy?"_

"_Killing the bloodsucker who was going to kill you. Now, I don't count that towards the whole murder thing," he added quickly. "Vampires don't count as people." (New Moon, pages 309 and 310)_

The wolves lived to kill vampires such as Laurent. They made a treaty with the Cullens that allowed them to stay in Forks as long as no innocent lives were taken. A stray nomad, however, was fair game. They were not part of the treaty.

I was, surprisingly, okay with this information. It was comforting to know that I would have some kind of protection from the creatures I use to be involved with, albeit the less-dangerous ones. Jacob, however, was not nearly as thrilled as I was. He was still, after all, a werewolf.

_He looked at me with guilt-ridden eyes. "I didn't say it wasn't safe for __me__. I was thinking of you."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_He looked down and kicked a rock. "There's more than one reason I'm not supposed to be around you, Bella. I wasn't supposed to tell you our secret, for one thing, but the other part is that it's not safe for __you__. If I get too mad…to upset…you might get hurt."_

_I thought about that carefully. "When you were mad before…when I was yelling at you…and you were shaking…?"_

"_Yeah." His face dropped even lower. "That was pretty stupid of me I have to keep a better hold on myself. I swore I wasn't going to get mad, no matter what you said to me. But…I just got so upset that I was going to lose you...that you couldn't deal with what I am…."_

"_What would happen…if you got too mad?" I whispered._

"_I'd turn into a wolf," he whispered back. (New Moon, pages 311 and 312)_

I could never be afraid of Jacob. I knew he would never hurt me. In fact, I was almost completely positive he would do everything in his power not to harm me, even if it meant he would suffer.

Jacob couldn't hide me from things, though. Some things, especially those concerning your life, are of vital importance. It is not reasonable to tell someone they will be fine when there is a ninety percent chance they will not wake up the next day. You do not tell a mother her son will be okay when he is being transported to a correctional facility. It is not moral to keep those facts hidden. The individual deserves to know such information. Sadly, I was one of those individuals.

"_If Laurent died…a week ago…then someone else is killing people __now__."_

_Jacob nodded; his teeth clenched together, and he spoke through them."…She keeps dancing around the edges, like she's testing our defenses, looking for a way in-but __in__ where? Where does she want to go? Sam thinks she's trying to separate us, so she'll have a better chance…."_

_His voice faded until it sounded like it was coming through a long tunnel; I couldn't make out the individual words anymore. My forehead dewed with sweat and my stomach rolled like I had the stomach flu again. Exactly like I had the flu._

…

_Victoria was here. Looking for me. Killing strangers in the woods. The woods where Charlie was searching…._

_My head spun sickeningly._

…

"_She wasn't Laurent's mate," I moaned into his shoulder. "They were just old friends…."_

…_._

_He pulled my face around, holding it steady in his big hand. He stared intently into my eyes. "Did he tell you anything else, Bella? This is important. Do you know what she wants?"_

"_Of course," I whispered. "She wants __me__." (New Moon, 312 through 314)_

After I had explained this to Jacob, we went to tell his pack brothers. They all needed to know the details of why Victoria was back if they were going to protect me. I wouldn't ask it of them, but with Jacob being so protective, I knew there was no way Charlie and I would be left unprotected.

…"_Jacob has information for us."_

_Paul looked unsurprised. Jacob must have explained this to him and Sam already. Or…they'd just heard his thoughts._

"_I know what the redhead wants." Jacob directed his words toward Jared and Embry. "That's what I was trying to tell you before." He kicked the leg of the chair Paul had settled into._

"_And?" Jared asked._

_Jacob's face got serious. "She __is__ trying to avenge her mate-only it wasn't the black-haired leech __we__ killed. The Cullens got her mate last year, and she's after Bella now."_

_This wasn't news to me, but I still shivered._

_Jared, Embry, and Emily stared at me with open-mouthed surprise._

"_She's just a girl," Embry protested._

"_I didn't say it made sense but that's why the bloodsucker's been trying to get past us. She's been heading for Forks." (New Moon, page 335)_

They were all shocked, to say the least. No one could understand why I was the one being targeted. You would think Edward would be, since he was the one to actually kill James, Victoria's mate. However, Victoria was coming after me, a mate for a mate.

Before Victoria could strike, a tragedy happened, shaking us all.

…"_It's Harry Clearwater. Harry had a heart attack this morning."_

"_Harry?" I shook my head, trying to absorb what he was saying. "Oh, no! Does Charlie know?"_

"_Yeah. He's over there, too, with my dad."_

"_Is Harry going to be okay?"_

_Jacob's eyes tightened again. "It doesn't look so great right now." (New Moon, pages 367 and 368)_

It wasn't long after that conversation Harry Clearwater died. The Clearwaters and Charlie were devastated. They had lost their father, husband, and best friend. He left behind two children, Leah and Seth, who eventually joined the pack. Sue, Harry's widow, went on to take his place in the council of elders.

We did not have much time to grieve over Harry's death. The ever-looming threat of Victoria hung over our heads like a house of cards, waiting to tumble at the slightest touch. Even though I was being watched over by a pack of werewolves, I was frightened. What if she happened to get past their defense and attack Charlie? I would rather face death by her hands than have Charlie harmed. He knew nothing of the world I had brought him into. He didn't deserve to be punished for my rash actions.

I should have never fallen in love with a vampire or any supposedly-mythical being. Why couldn't I have been like a normal human girl? Why did I have to fall in love with a perfect monster, a beautiful killer?

And more importantly, why was a member of his family still in Forks, silently watching over me from the shadows he had learnt to become?

**Author's Corner: Hello everyone! First of all, thanks to my three awesome reviewers! You are the best! I was so thrilled when I saw your reviews! **

**Second, thanks to everyone who decided to follow and/or favorite this story. That meant a lot to me as well.**

**Third, I hope this chapter did not leave you waiting too long. I had a fun time writing it, but the words from the book took the most time. I wanted to make sure I got every single one right. I will try to update with the next chapter as soon as possible. However, there will not be any exerts from the books for a while, since my actual story line will be starting. If you do not like that I have taken parts from Stephenie's books, you won't have to worry about it for much longer.**

**Fourth, review pretty please! Tell me what you think about it so far. Would you like it to be longer? Does it need to be shorter? I'll take constructive criticism, but please do not flame. It's not nice. -Fire**


	3. Chapter 2: Evil Little Redhead

**Disclaimer: **_**Twilight**_** does not belong to me.**

**Warning: There are gory scenes in this chapter. If you have a weak stomach, do not read.**

**A/N: Hello everyone. How are you all doing? I hope you are doing well and enjoying life. Days are too short to be doing anything but that. I come to you with another chapter. This will be the actual start of my story. The plot from here on out is mine. Any references will be from the books. The movies will have no play in this.**

Monday started like any other day. I got dressed for school, grabbed a Pop Tart and my bag, and hopped into my truck. Yeah, the engine took a while to start, and the radio wasn't always working. I loved my truck, though. Nothing was going to separate me from it. I'll drive it as long as it lives, which means I could be getting something new any time now. Damn.

School was almost over with. It was May 6th, and prom had just passed. Gossip was still buzzing around the student population. Apparently, one of the junior girls pulled her dress up too far when she was walking. She ended up flashing everyone, much to her embarrassment and the boys' enjoyment. In my opinion, who really cared? Why should we? It was her fault, her problem. Let her deal with it. Don't spread it around and make it everyone's business when it shouldn't be.

Anyway, exams were coming up, and being a senior, I had the privilege of exempting all of mine if I kept my grades high enough. Of course, I did. It was a little rough there after Edward left, but as soon as I got myself back on track, I passed with flying colors. I had been offered valedictorian and accepted graciously. Angela was salutatorian. We could not have been happier. Charlie was pleased as well. In fact, he suggested we all go out to eat at The Tavern afterwards. **(A/N: I'm naming the diner Charlie loves 'The Tavern'. It's based off of a diner near my hometown. I do not own The Tavern, and I apologize if naming the diner this offends anybody.)**

Life could not have been any better. Well, of course it could have been, if I were to be honest. How happy can one be if there is a bloodthirsty killer after them? Are they supposed to live their life like normal? How can one act normal under non-normal circumstances? Sure, I could pretend to be happy. I can put on a mask like anyone else and pretend. I can make-believe that I am happy and everything is fine. I can even convince myself that I am safe, that Charlie and my friends are safe. But why would I do that? Is it not better to face you fears and reality head on? Karma will come back and bite you in the ass at any given time. It is better to deal with your problems rather than run away from them.

Graduation arrived faster than I expected. Charlie, Billie, and Jacob were in the audience, cheering me on as I walked to get my diploma. They cheered after my speech along with the rest of the audience. I smiled to myself, proud. I had finally accomplished what I wanted. I had graduated high school, got accepted into a good college, and was planning on joining a good career. Shoot, maybe I would make Charlie happy and join law enforcement.

But all of my dreams were shattered in one evening. I knew all along that she would come for me, either directly or indirectly. It was no surprise that she showed up, but I wasn't expecting it to be so soon. I was hoping for a bit more time. All I wanted was time; time to be at peace and enjoy what life had to offer before it was ripped from me. You never know how important time is until you do not have any of it. When it is gone, you cannot get it back, no matter how hard you may try. There is no point in regretting not doing what you wanted. Take any chance that is given to you and run with it. Grasp your options with all of your strength, and never say things you would take back later. I wished I had told Charlie I loved him one more time. I wished I had thanked Angela for sticking up for me. I wished I had taken that extra writing class and read _Wuthering Heights_ again.

She came in the dead of night. There was no way for me to defend myself. I wouldn't have been able to anyhow. Vampires' skin is as hard as steel. The only thing that can tear through it is the strength of another vampire or the vampires' teeth. Those teeth, dripping with their venom, can either kill or change a human. I remember wanting to become one, but if I knew it was going to happen this way, I would have never said anything against Edward's reluctance.

I had no time to scream when she grabbed me. Her hand was wrapped around my jaw, holding it so tight I could hear the bones crunching. I couldn't help flinching at the intense burning sensation. Her other arm was underneath me, holding me to her so tightly I suspected my ribs would soon snap. Her red hair was all I could see when she started running towards God knows where. As much as I had steeled myself for this, I couldn't control a tear or two from falling. My life was ending as I knew it. There would be no children, no family, and no growing old. I knew how Rosalie felt. I would miss it, but I wouldn't pine for it like she did.

Victoria was still running when the sun started rising. The heat was higher wherever we were than in Forks. I feared I would start to sweat, but being so close to her allowed her body temperature to keep me cool. I decided to fall limp in her arms. There was no reason for me to try and fight her, to resist being taken. Fate had decided that my life would end like this. I couldn't do anything about it, not against a vampire hell-bend on ending me. It would be like trying to take a gun from an avid hunter. The hunter would not let his precious gun go, especially if it was his only one. The hunter would fight for the gun because it was a tool for what he loved to do-hunting. A gun is essential for taking down game, especially big game. The hunter would be useless without a gun. Victoria would be useless in her quest for revenge if she didn't have me. Therefore, I was a key tool in her game, and there was no way she was replacing me with someone else. How would she get the pleasure she was searching for if she killed someone other than me? The answer is simple- she wouldn't.

We finally arrived somewhere. It looked like an old abandoned tin barn. The roof was leaning in dangerously, and there were puddles and rats scattered about the floor. I almost vomited at the sight and smell. The smell was familiar. It smelled like blood, human blood. Sure enough, I saw a dead body in the far corner. I couldn't tell if it was a male or female due to the extensive beating it had taken. Decaying skin was in every direction. There was no hair left on the person's head, and no clothes covered its figure. Victoria had her fun with this one. There was no doubt in my mind the individual had suffered greatly before dying. My thoughts traveled to what my own death would be like. Would Victoria tear me to shreds? Would she slowly break every bone in my body? Would she rip me apart and then use her venom to secure the pieces back together? Vampires had eternity to live. Their patience surpassed time. When would she get tired of me? Would she wait until I died of old age, or would she take revenge quickly, wanting closure?

My questions were answered as she threw me from her shoulder. I flew through the air and landed roughly against the side of the barn. Blood flowed from cuts on my back, and I knew there would be bruises. Victoria didn't care though. She laughed, and the sound would have been beautiful if it hadn't have been the laugh of a murderer. She was getting pleasure from my pain. Any person seeking revenge does. It is normal in humans, so why was I surprised it was the same for vampires? Was I even really that surprised? No, I thought to myself, I suppose I wasn't that surprised.

She stalked over to me, her eyes glued to my figure. An evil smile appeared on her face, and her red eyes grew even darker, if that was possible. "You will suffer by my hands, little whore," she snarled at me.

I couldn't help it. I snorted in amusement. "You call me a whore? Was James even your real mate?" I question boldly. I instantly regretted it. She rushed over to me with so much speed I could not follow the movement. Her grin widened at the sickening snap of my arm under her foot. A scream threatened to escape but came out as a whimper. I bit my bottom lip, hard. There was no way she was getting any more enjoyment from torturing me.

"Aw," she cooed at me like I was a baby. "Does that hurt? Why don't you scream? Are you afraid to? Or are you so useless that you aren't able to? It's a pity your vampire was enraptured with you. There's nothing special about you. You're simply a pathetic little human. You'll grow old and ugly. You won't retain the youthfulness you have now. There's no need for him to stay with you. I'm not surprised he left."

I glared up at her and opened my mouth to retort. However, her hand met my face before any words were released. My head snapped to the side. My jaw started to burn in pain. A headache formed before I could comprehend what she had done.

"No," Victoria commands, "you are not going to speak. You are going to listen for as long as I let your ears remain. I am going to tell you just how worthless you are and how much pain you've put me through. You haven't lost your mate. You haven't lost anything. Your life is going just the way you want it. You have a whole future ahead of you. I, on the other hand, have nothing. My only pleasure in life is killing, and I plan on killing you, slowly and painfully."

That last sentence was becoming reality and fast. The pain caused from her snapping my arm and smacking my jaw was intense. If she kept this up, I wouldn't be able to hold onto consciousness for much longer. And if I was going to suffer by her hand, I was certainly going to rile her up first. It was probably going to end up being the stupidest decision of my life, but hey, why not? It could be amusing to see Victoria get easily angered. "My only pleasure was seeing James burned to ashes," I stated calmly.

Victoria screeched, and the sound was horrible. It was even worse than someone dragging their nails against a chalkboard. She kicked me in the ribs, and the action sent me skidding across the floor before I hit my head on the tin siding. Everything went black before I could consider my new wound.

I woke up a while later. I had no idea what day or time it was. For all I knew, I could have been unconscious for a week or more. Charlie would probably think I was dead by now. He might have a search party out for me, but he would never find me. Victoria was vampire, and in being one, she would have not left any tracks as to our location. I faintly wondered if Angela was devastated. Would she now by now? How long would it take for them to pronounce me missing or even dead? Would Charlie ever give up and move on with his life? Would Angela go to college and act as if nothing happened, or would she mourn with Charlie and eventually move on as well? I supposed there was no good in pondering those questions, so I tried to sit up. Groaning in pain, I decided it was best not to try to move everything at once. My side was screaming in pain, and I could feel a scab on the back of my head. I saw a bit of white, and upon further investigation, I realized it was a piece of bone from my arm that was sticking out of the skin. Puss and dried blood covered the blue and black skin there. I dry heaved from the sight, nothing coming out except water and spit.

Victoria was nowhere to be found, and I was thankful for that. I at least had a smidgen of peace. When she returned, though, I knew I was in for it. She was more than likely not pleased with my blatant lack of holding onto consciousness. Hey, it wasn't my fault. Anyone would black out if they were in the same, or even a similar, situation. A sadistic vampire was not something anyone would want to deal with. I could understand where Victoria was coming from to a point. She was right. Edward wasn't my mate. I realize now that I would have felt more pain at the separation and so would he. We would have ended up back together if we were true mates. I oddly felt no nostalgia at that fact. So he wasn't my mate. Did I care? Nope. I did not give an iota about Edward Cullen anymore. Actually, I was kind of annoyed at him. He was the one that got me in this situation. If he hadn't become fascinated with me, the incident with James would have never happened. This means that Victoria wouldn't have plotted my demise.

Speaking of the devil, she walked back into the abandoned barn the next second. A smirk appeared on her face when she saw I was awake. Oh great, let the torture begin. Wait, it had already begun. Let it continue, then. I had never really been much of a religious person before, but at that moment, I prayed to God I would somehow survive this. If there was any good left in the world, let it aid me, give me strength. There was no way I was going to be able to come out of this unscathed, but in that moment I would give anything to see daylight one more time.

Victoria smiled at me. It was cruel, cold, and unfeeling. It sent shivers down my spine that I could not hide. If Hades could have a human form, it would no doubt be Victoria in this moment. "You're awake," she observed. "That's good. It means you'll be able to scream while I rip off your fingernails."

I had heard of the action before. It wasn't very original. Deciding if I was going to die, I wasn't going to let her see me weak. I smirked at her, which was hard to do considering my cheek and jaw were swollen and burning. "I'm looking forward to it," I stated. Impressively enough, my voice did not crack or waver.

Her expression was so hilarious I could have laughed if I wasn't scared shitless. "We'll see about that. Prepare to feel pain like you've never felt before. You will regret ever meeting Edward Cullen, Bella Swan. You will plead for mercy."

"The only thing I'll be pleading for is to see your head burn," I bite back.

"That can be arranged," an ominous voice says coldly. I cannot see where it was coming from, and I could not see anyone else in the barn. Was the person outside? Was someone outside? Was it a vampire? Oh gosh, am I going to be rescued? Will I be saved? Can I help burn Victoria? Maybe I can do a little dance or something. I'll gather the wood! Just please, whoever you are, don't leave me alone with her!

Victoria growled and turned her head toward the voice. She was glaring heatedly at the entrance to the small barn. "I will have my fun, and you will not stop me."

"You are not one to order me around, child," the voice snarled. I could tell it was masculine, but I still had no idea who the owner was.

Victoria screamed a sort of cry. It was filled with outrage and hatred. She was quickly out of my sight. I sighed in relief. Could I escape on my own? If the person outside is a vampire, which I was really hoping for, then he can hold Victoria off long enough for me to escape. But how would I escape? They had the front door covered, no doubt. I did manage to see there was a back entrance as well, but boards were pushed up against it. Could I move them? One of my arms was broken, but I had the other one.

Well, whether I can or not, it won't hurt to try. I attempted to stand but quickly fell back down with a thump. I huffed in annoyance. Nope, it looked like I would have to wait for the outcome of the fight brawling on outside. With nothing better to do, I laid my head back down and listening to the loud thunder of two bodies colliding. This was going to take a while.

**A/N: I apologize for the long wait. I wanted the graphic scenes to be well versed. I hope I did not disappoint. I'm not usually one for violent scenes. What did you all think of this chapter? Please review and let me know. The next update should not take as long. Thanks!**

**-Fire**


	4. Chapter 3: Mysterious Savior

I groaned as light filtered into the barn through the door. I blinked my eyes, trying to see who was there. If it was Victoria, I was done for. I didn't have much fight left in me. Blood loss caused my head to pound, and my body felt numb all over. Yeah, if it was Victoria, there was no way I would survive long enough to see the next day. In fact, I considered pleading for her to end it all. That would be the humane thing. Oh, wait, she's not human. Huh, I guess that option won't work then. If it came down to it, I could take my own life someway, I supposed. Hopefully, though, the vampire fighting against Victoria will win and set me free. Perhaps he'll even take me back to Forks before setting me free. I don't think I could get back home in the condition I'm in currently.

After a few minutes of the silhouette not becoming clear, I simply closed my eyes. "If you're going to kill me, you may as well do it. I'm no good to you lying here, stinking and rotting."

"Well, you sure do smell nearly as bad as dog piss," the masculine voice from earlier said. "It's quite disgusting. In fact, I don't know how Victoria dealt with it. The stench is almost as overwhelming as a werewolf."

I sighed in relief, overlooking the exaggeration of my stink. "She's dead, then?"

"She was dead before, but if you mean burnt to ashes, then yes. She won't bother you anymore."

Relief flooded through my system. Finally, the threat of Victoria was off of my back. Just as quickly as the relief filled me, it was replaced by fear. What if this new vampire wanted to torture me just like Victoria did? Would I be traded from one captor to another? If so, would he be a bad as Victoria? Or would he be worse? Would he break every bone in my body, reset it, let it heal, and then break it again? Would he put food in front of me but just far enough away I couldn't reach it? Would he keep me in darkness for the rest of my life? Would I ever see the light again? I had already given up on seeing Charlie and Angela, but I had hoped to breathe fresh air again. I had hoped to see flowers, the sun, clouds, anything really other than this ratty, old barn.

"You are afraid. Why? Are you afraid of me? I just saved you."

I snort. "You may be my savior, but you can just as quickly be my torturer."

I heard the figure moving. I couldn't see where he was going, and the more I tried to hear where he was heading, the harder my headache pounded. So, once again, I just gave up. What can you do in a situation like this? There was no way someone could come and help me. I couldn't escape due to my injuries. I could only sit and wait for my fate. Huh, the world really was cruel sometimes. Okay, more than sometimes. The world was a horrible place for those that aren't tricking themselves into living the perfect life. Gosh, I'm really turning into a downer.

"You've learned a lot about the darker sides of things in such a short time. I'm proud of you, Bella."

I perked up a bit. This vampire knew my name. The only vampires that knew my name were the Cullens, Victoria, James, Laurent, and the Volturi. Three of those I ruled out because I knew they were dead. I took some sick delight in the fact. Let the asshole rot in hell for all I cared. That meant that the person in the barn with me was either a Cullen or a member of the Volturi. Both of which I really didn't want to see at the moment.

"How do you know me?" I asked quietly. I didn't really expect an answer. If the vampire told me the truth, then I would know his true identity. That might be a liability for him. If he told me a lie, then he could get someone else in trouble. Either way, I wasn't expecting answer, so I wasn't surprised when the person ignored my question.

"Tell me, why did you not ask for help? If you knew Victoria was coming after you, why did you not call in reinforcements?"

'Reinforcements'? This wasn't a Star Wars game, bud. What kind of 'reinforcements' would I call in? The Cullens were long gone. The Volturi were already weary of me. They would rather me die than kill a vampire hell bent on doing it anyway. So I'm sorry, Mister Vampire Sir, if I don't have anyone who gives a damn that could defeat a vampire.

"Who would I call in?" I asked. I decided to play dumb. If I came off as being a stupid little human girl, maybe he would kill me quickly and not keep me alive to suffer. Or, if I got under his nerves by not using my brain, he would get tired and leave me to die somewhat peacefully. Wow, I've considered this as peaceful now? I've lost my damn mind.

The figure standing…hell, somewhere, didn't answer my question. The barn was filled with complete silence. I heard the wind pick up outside and was that…thunder? Oh great, just great. Not only can I not move, but now there's a storm coming this way with now heat. I don't even have a blanket. Or is there a blanket somewhere? It doesn't really matter now because I can't move. Fantastic.

"Do you hear the storm?"

I would roll my eyes if I wasn't convinced the action would cause my headache to strengthen. "Yes," I answered rather smartly. "I'd ask if you could hear it, but obviously I know the answer." Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for me to be smart to this vampire, but I was in a bad mood. My day went from bad, to better, and then got even worse within a span of around five hours. Needless to say, I had a reason to act like a bitch.

The person chuckled, and the sound was almost beautiful. It would have been beautiful if it weren't for the fact I had almost been tortured to death, was currently located in an abandoned barn waiting for a thunderstorm to arrive, and said person who chuckled had taken me back to civilization by now. "You're frustrated."

What was up with this vampire telling me my own emotions? I mean, come on dude, shut up and take me home. Why else would you have saved me? I'm nothing but a mortal. I get sick, I grow old, and then I die. What would an immortal with endless time on their hands be doing with me? Was he guarding me, waiting for someone else to come and take me away to slaughter? Just what was this guy doing exactly? That's the million dollar question.

"Of course I'm frustrated," I said. "You're not giving me any answers or clues as to your identity. You're keeping me in this piece of shit with a storm about to hit. I'm bleeding, bruised, and broken. I need to get to a hospitable or something. I want to go back home. I want warmth and good food. But no, this mysterious vampire who saves me is still keeping me here, annoying the crap out of me and letting me slowly die. Of course I'm frustrated," I repeated. "You would be too if you were in my position."

"Yes, I suppose I would be. However, I am not. I am immortal. I cannot die unless killed by fire or another of my kind. If I'm torn apart, I can be put back together. You cannot. You puny humans believe that you have the world under control and that you're at the top of the food chain. You aren't. You're so disillusioned that it's almost hysterically funny. You mortals live your lives in luxury, choosing to overlook the evils of your world in favor of living in a sort of trance. You choose splendor over reality. It's funny, really, how much you think you know. Your kind knows nothing of real pain and suffering. It can be easily ended for your lot, a simple knife deep into the wrist, a bullet through the head, or a lack of oxygen. Your bodies are so delicate and fragile." Here he paused, as if to stop his rant and reconsider his words. "You're weak," he stated with finality. Finality I could hear ringing over the very storm almost right over us. The bottom would give out at any moment. I would be grateful for the sound for I needed a distraction. I needed a distraction from the pain and cold truth that was weaved throughout the vampire's words.

"I may be weak, but here's one human that's not going to give up so easily. Vampires are better than us, I'll admit. However, there's something we have that most of your kind don't. We have emotions. We can make friends and enemies. We can love and hate. We can be sad and happy. Your kind can only feel hatred and thirst. There's no love in your relationships. It's more of a deal between people that want to have sex with one another. There are no real ties between vampires. With humans, there is. We have family units, some that stick together and some that don't, but we still have families."

"And where is yours?" he interrupted abruptly. "Where is your dear family? You only have your father and friends. Your mother is in Jacksonville with her new husband, enjoying the traveling. Do you think she's worried about you? What about your dearest father? Do you believe that he's looking for you? He is the Chief of Police after all. What about that mutt Jacob? You've been quite friendly with him lately."

I was shocked into silence. How did this person know all of this about me? Had he stalked me? Did he know my address and phone number as well? Why would he care so much? Why did he go through the trouble of learning all of that stuff about me? Or did he actually do it? Was he Victoria's boss or something? Was he the leader of the gang that was never seen? Or did he somehow get the Cullens to tell him all of that stuff? They would be the only ones to know it. My personal accounts and numbers couldn't have been that easy to access, could they?

The vampire laughed harshly. A chill ran through the air, and I shivered from both the sound and the cold. "Are you surprised, dear Bella? I bet you didn't expect me to know so much about you. I haven't really been that sociable lately. I tend to keep to myself. Old habits die hard, I suppose. Well, now that the cat, or should I say dog, is out of the bag, you've just acquired a clue."

"You can't be with the Volturi," I reasoned. The Volturi were stuck up snobs in the vampire world. There was no way they would go through so much trouble to get under my skin. They would taunt me, sure, but they would be tired and done with me in a matter of seconds. This person knew how to rile me up and make me uncomfortable. He knew how to make me ask more questions and laughed when he didn't give answers. Okay, maybe I couldn't pull off playing the dumb naïve girl. Two can play at this game. I'm not a master at Clue for nothing.

"Ah, you might actually have a brain inside that head of yours. I'm relieved. For a moment there, I thought you had lost your sanity."

I growled out at my new captor. He laughed coldly. "If you're not with the Volturi, then why are you keeping me here? Why do you leave me to die?"

The vampire clucked his tongue in what I assumed was disapproval. "Now, now, I can't go giving out all of my secrets. You'll have to discover that one by yourself. In fact, I'm sort of surprised you don't know who I am yet. I've given you plenty of opportunities to guess."

I thought back. What had he said that had given me a clue? Better yet, what hadn't he said? Okay Bella, think. If he's a Cullen, which is a far cry but I have to start somewhere, then he can't be Emmett. My lovable brother bear wouldn't hurt me for the world, even if he already has indirectly. Carlisle and Esme can be pushed out. They wouldn't have anything to do with this at all. They're too…soft. Alice was like a sister when she was here. I'm kind of surprised she hadn't seen this, but maybe she had and Edward stopped her from contacting me. Edward and Alice are ruled out. Alice would try, and Edward would keep her from doing anything. Then Edward's own stubbornness would get in the way of him coming to save me, the stupid brat. That left Jasper and Rosalie. Jasper didn't have anything to do with me, in the beginning and even less after my birthday party. Jasper's out. Rosalie can be out too. The voice was masculine.

Well, that rules the Cullens out. So this means that the vampire currently in the same area as me is a complete stranger. How does he know so much about me, though? It just didn't add up. If my brain wasn't a battle zone before, it sure is now. And the enemy has some mighty powerful grenades with them. God my head hurt.

"Stop confusing me," I pleaded to the vampire. I really hated headaches. Where was an Advil when you needed one? Shoot, a Tylenol or Motrin would work right now. I just needed something! Okay, maybe I didn't need, but I sure as hell wanted.

"How am I confusing you?" the vampire asked. He sounded like he genuinely didn't know, but vampires were the ultimate contortionist. There was no way I was about to believe anything he has said.

"You're not of the Volturi, and you can't be a Cullen."

Silence filled the barn. I was almost worried that he had left me alone here. Had I come too close to figuring out who he really was? Did he not want me to know who he was working for or with? If that was the case, why was he giving me clues? No, obviously he wanted me to know who he is. "What makes you think I'm not a Cullen?"

Bam! That one question just blew my headache off of the cliff it was standing on. The way he said it…he implied that he was a Cullen. Oh my God, they were back. Were all of them back? Was it only this one? Were there only a few back? Was Edward back? Was Alice back? If Edward was back, could I kick his ass? Well, technically, I couldn't kick his ass, but I could convince Alice too I'm sure. Why would a Cullen be back? I thought they all had left for good. Usually if someone leaves, they don't return.

"Your emotions sure just took a roller coaster ride," the vampire chuckled.

'Your emotions'? How could the vampire know what I was feeling? Was he an empath? Jasper was an empath, right? Maybe he wasn't the only one. Jasper couldn't be back here. Why would he come back? We never really knew each other. Edward kept that from happening. In fact, it was almost like Jasper had the plague or something. He was never around when I was over unless Alice dragged him into the room. No, Jasper couldn't be this vampire. But this vampire is a Cullen, isn't it? Is there some secret Cullen family member I don't know about?

"You can't be Jasper." The words fell from my lips before I could seal them shut.

"What makes you think that?" he asked.

What was up with all of these questions? I'm supposed to be the one guessing here. "Well, even though you might be an empath, Jasper wouldn't return to Forks or wherever the hell we are. He would have stayed with Alice wherever she went. Also, Jasper never really knew me enough to care if I died or not. He would have just let be what was going to happen. The Cullens should have known Victoria was going to come after me anyway. What, did they think that just because they left Victoria was too? Even I, the human, was smart enough to know that."

"We hoped she would leave you alone," he confirmed. "I knew better. Once a vampire has targeted their prey, they don't give up on the hunt until the prey is dead."

"Thanks for that little lesson on vampire life, but I want to know who you are."

"You're going to have to guess," the vampire automatically responded. "I'm not telling you who I am. Your guessing game is quite comical."

"Yeah, it's comical for you. I'm the one over here with a headache the size of Texas."

"Have you ever been to Texas?"

What the hell? Why would it matter if I've ever been to Texas? That was just a phrase I picked up in Arizona. "Uh, no I haven't. Why?"

"I was just wondering," the mysterious person said. I heard him move around some more before…sitting down? It sounded like a lot of weight was placed on a specific area of the old, rotting boards due to the creaking sound.

"Have you been to Texas?" Maybe if I prompt him on why he asked the questions he has, he'll give me more clues.

"Yes, many times in the past. It was where I stayed for quite a while."

Hmm, so mystery vamp has stayed in Texas before for a long time. Was this one of the Cullen's close friends? Was it one of Jasper's friends that lived in Texas? Jasper was from the South. Perhaps one of his palls overheard Alice talking about me. That could explain how he knew all of this information about me. But it's highly suspicious of him to come and save me. How did he know I was here? Did he follow Victoria? Was he stalking me? Okay, definitely labeling this one as a creeper.

"Please, make it easy on the both of us and just tell me who you are. If this bloody headache would be over with, I'd open my eyes and know already. Sadly, that doesn't feel like it's going to happen any time soon."

"I'm not telling you any more, Bella." I heard movement and tensed when I felt a hand go underneath my legs. "I'm just picking you up. The only way you'll get out of here is if I carry you."

"What about the storm?"

He chuckled once again. "Bella, the storm's passed already."

It has already passed? How did that happen without me knowing? Was I really that occupied with my thoughts? "But it didn't rain."

"No, it didn't, but the bottom will probably fall out once it travels a few miles north of here. That's why we need to leave now, so we don't get caught up in it."

I nodded and relaxed as the vampire picked me up and cradled me against his chest. I could tell he had a broad chest and wide shoulders. Not like a football player, no, more like that of a basketball player. The chill that accompanied their kind caused shivers to rack harshly through my broken body. I held back a whimper at the added pain.

"Okay, I'm going to start running now. You keep your eyes closed and breathe through your nose. I don't need you getting sick on me."

"Wait, how did you know…?" Before I could finish my question, he took off. I closed my mouth to stop any bugs from getting into it. I don't know about normal humans, but I sure didn't like eating bugs. They weren't very appetizing.

I drifted off to sleep in the arms of the vampire. I don't know how much time he spent running with me in his arms, but his stride was comfortable enough to rock me to sleep. It wasn't like Edward's or Victoria's. When I was on Edward's back while he was running, his gait was smooth. However, because of his extra speed, it tended to be a bit bumpy and not all comfortable. Victoria wasn't caring for comfort when she brought me up here. I remembered that the ride with her was extremely rocky and spastic. It was almost like a rollercoaster who jerked you too much. This vampire's gait was like a rocking chair. The motions repeated themselves with each step he took, and he must have been overly careful to not hit any extremely uneven ground. Inside, I was extremely thankful to the easy ride. On the outside, I was exhausted. So sleep caught up to me pretty especially since I didn't resist.

When I woke up again, I was met with loud beeping noises and a really flat pillow. I blinked a couple of times, trying to come to terms with the extreme amount of light…wherever I was. The noises were starting to get annoying very quickly. When I attempted to swat at where I presumed they were coming from, my arm felt very heavy and weighed down. My eyes shot open in surprise that I couldn't move it. Of course, yesterday it was broken, but I could at least feel the pain when I tried to move it. Now, I couldn't feel any pain, but I could feel weight. I looked down to see a cast on it, clean and pristinely white. That means…I glanced around and confirmed my suspicions. I was in a hospital. So, had the vampire dropped me off here, or had he taken me home first? I hoped it was the former and that Charlie had been notified. My wish was granted when Charlie stepped through the door.

"Bella, you're awake!" he said. Emotion was thick in his voice as he came to sit in the chair pulled up beside my bed.

"Hey Dad," I said, my voice scratchy and weak.

He took my left hand in his. Hey, it wasn't broken! That's awesome! "I was so worried about you, Bella. I had all of the police departments in Washington and Oregon looking for you. I can't believe you got so far."

"'So far'? What are you talking about Dad?"

He looked at me with an astounded expression. "You don't know where you kidnapper took you?"

I shook my head no. Victoria was a crazy bitch. I was just glad to be rid of her. I didn't really care where I had ended up. All I knew was that it was a barn.

"You were all the way in New Mexico."

I started and stared at Charlie in amazement. New Mexico? That crazy, psychotic, vampire bitch took me to New Mexico? What the hell?

Charlie chuckled. Oops, I must have said that out loud. "Dad, how did I end up in New Mexico?"

He shook his head. "We have no idea. There aren't any traces of car tracks leading away from the house. We know you were taken from there, but we have no idea how or by whom. Do you know, Bella? Do you know who took you?"

I blanched at his hopeful look. There was no way Charlie could know about Victoria. "No, Dad, I don't know who took me. I don't even know how I ended up in New Mexico. All I remember was being in my room and then ending up in an abandoned barn."

"So you don't know anything?"

I could hear the disappointment in his voice, and I could understand why he felt that way. If someone was to hurt my child, I would want revenge on that person. However, revenge had already been taken on Victoria. That vampire had killed her, and I secretly hoped he had ripped her apart slowly. Speaking of which, where is that vampire?

"Do you know who brought me here, Dad?"

Charlie said, "No, Bella, I don't know. The doctors couldn't get a name out of him. He said he found you on the side of the road in New Mexico and got out of you that you lived in Forks, Washington. He drove all the way up here, dropped you off, and then left. I would have liked to thank the man, but he disappeared before anyone could get another word out of him. I didn't even get to see him that well. He had a hood on that kept his features hidden. It kind of makes me wonder if he was your kidnapper."

I shook my head, instantly knowing I had to set it straight for my savior. "No, he didn't kidnap me. The person who did was a woman, I remember that."

Charlie nodded. "Well, that doesn't matter anymore. What does matter is that you are safe." He squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back. Yes, that was what mattered. I was finally safe. Victoria wouldn't come after me anymore. I wouldn't have to live in fear of her hurting Charlie or Angela. Now, all I needed to do was focus on going to college in the fall and recovering from this.

That didn't stop my mind from wondering about my mysterious vampire though. Who was he? Why did he help me? Would I ever see him again? All of these questions, and more, buzzed through my head almost constantly over the course of the days following my waking up in the hospital. It seemed like my connection with the supernatural world wasn't diminishing any time soon.

**Author's Corner**

***peeks out from behind table* Hello? Yes, how are you? I'm so very sorry that it has been a month since I have uploaded a chapter to this story. There are no excuses I can give that will matter. I just haven't had the time, honestly. However, I am back now and rearing to go! I will update the next chapter sometime after I get some more reviews. I want to know if you all like this story so far. Huge thanks to all of those who have reviewed. Please do so again. **

**-Fire**

**P.S. I don't own **_**Twilight**_**.**


	5. Chapter 4: Jasper in Victoria's Secret

A few weeks passed. Things stayed pretty quiet. I received numerous calls and correspondence from different people inquiring about my wellbeing. I honestly appreciated people caring about me, but after a while, it got old. There's only so many thank you letters one can write. I felt lucky that my mom had not forgotten about me amongst her travels. She had called as soon as I was released from the hospital. Needless to say, her ass would have been on a plane if I hadn't managed to calm her down enough to see reason. Now I know why someone as simple and quiet as Charlie couldn't be with her. She was way too overdramatic. I loved the woman, don't get me wrong, but she was definitely too spastic for him. Where he was an actual adult, she was more like a child. I guessed that's why she enjoyed life so much.

I had gone out with Angela and a few friends from school a couple of times. We enjoyed the movies and beach hangouts. No one asked about my capture, and I never spoke a word. Instead, both parties chose to gloss over it, letting it be almost nonexistent. Jacob had been silent. I hadn't heard a word from him or the Pack since I returned to Forks. It was strange, and at first, I thought something had happened. Perhaps he had discovered I was captured by a vampire and felt guilty, distancing him from me out of guilt or a Pack order. However, I didn't let it bother me too much. Sure, it was really weird. I mean, before, Jacob and I had gotten really close. I thought our friendship would continue to be strong, but I guessed wrong apparently. Anyway, too much had happened recently for me to even think about crying over spilled milk.

"Hey, Bella, would you like to go shopping today?" Angela suggested one afternoon. We had been hanging out at her house. Her parents had taken her younger twin brothers to a birthday party, and Angela had invited me over. We did this often. Whenever one of us had some free time or were bored, we'd call the other up and see if she wanted to hang. It kept us close, even though I had only told her as much about my capture as our other friends. She may be my best friend and the only one I'd ever entrust that information with, but I didn't feel like talking about it yet. The memories were still too near.

"Sure, Ang, that sounds good."

"Great! Let me grab my keys and my purse, and we'll go! Do you need to stop by your house first?"

I shook my head, and she bounded out of the room. Hmm, she seemed really excited for this shopping trip. Was she just really excited or really anxious about something? What could she be anxious about?

Once again, when I was left in a room in silence, I started to think about the vampire again. God, I couldn't get him out of my head! It was like I had some weird sort of fascination with him all of a sudden. Of course I wanted to know who he was, but that didn't mean that I had to think about him all the time. I mean, I would probably never see him again for God's sake! Why was I still trying to figure out who he was? Yeah, the thoughts pissed me off. Here's a quarter. Call someone who cares.

Angela came back into the room mere moments later. She had her purse and keys in her hand. "You ready, then?"

I nodded and stood. We made our way outside, and Angela locked up the house behind us. We got into her dark blue Chevy Blazer and drove off. **(A/N I don't know what Angela drives, but I'm making it a Blazer. I love those old trucks. Yeah, I call them trucks. Don't hate. Also, don't bother asking if I know what they are. I do, and my dad has one so…yep. His is white though…anyway.)**

"You're okay with going to Port Angeles, right?" she asked when we merged onto the highway.

"Of course," I responded. "That's one of the only decent places around here to shop at."

She nodded. "I know! They totally need to make something closer. I mean, it's atrocious how much gas you have to spend just to buy new clothes! And the time it takes to get there is horrible! You have to get up early in order to have a good amount of time to browse, and you get back so late that it's pitch black."

I almost smiled at her obvious frustration with the lack of malls around Forks. "If the population boomed, I'm sure we'd get something."

"Yeah, but Forks' population probably won't grow over 2,000 any time soon. We may as well relent to the fact that any girl looking for decent clothes will have to drive around 3 hours to get them."

"It's not so bad, Ang," I soothed the girl.

She smiled at me. "I know, Bella, I'm just trying to get you into a good mood. You've been quiet lately. It's a bit unsettling. Are you sure you're okay?"

I thought about a good answer to that question. No, I wasn't okay. I may have healed physically, but the mental and emotional scars were definitely still there. I had nightmares every night, worse than the ones I had when Edward left me. She was there in my dreams, torturing me again, and in some cases, actually killing me. My hero only showed up in some of them, and he never stayed long. When he did, he'd sometimes taunt me. He would tell me he killed Victoria only for her to suddenly show up and end me. It was almost like my mind was unwilling to admit that I had indeed been saved. It wanted to continue torturing me.

"I'm getting better," I decided on finally. There was no use for me to continue living in the past. I had college coming up, and I didn't want to neglect my friends again, especially Angela. What happened with Victoria is over, and she'd never going to bother me or those I cared about ever again. The sooner I came to grips with what happened and realized it was over, the sooner I would get better. "I'm lucky to have a great friend like you, Angela. I don't know if I would have survived these past few weeks if you hadn't been there for me."

Angela actually blushed, and the strangeness of it almost made me laugh. God, how long had it been since I laughed? I couldn't remember. "Thanks, Bella. You know that I'm here for you whenever you need me, right?"

Of course I do, Angela. How could I not? "Yes, I do. Thank you, really." I'd really love to tell you, but it's just too much right now. Give me some time, Ang. I'll come clean eventually. Obviously not about the vampire part, but everything other than that wouldn't be so bad to have out in the open.

She waved a hand at me. "I think we've had enough with the heavy for today. What shops would you like to go to? I definitely need to hit Bed, Bath, and Body Works and Victoria's Secret."

Ugh, I hated that bloody name. When will I ever get rid of it? "I'd like to stop by Hot Topic and Rue 21." Yeah, I needed some heavier stores, not like Claire's or Dillard's. My mood would definitely reflect on my selections today.

Angela nodded. "I would like to go to those stores, too. Hey, we can eat lunch at the mall and then grab Starbucks on the way back, if you want."

I loved Starbucks. Ever since the Cullens left, I started drinking coffee and had quickly become addicted. Starbucks was my favorite coffee joint. If you ever wanted me to go anywhere, all you had to say was that there was a Starbucks nearby, and I would instantly be sold. "We are going to Starbucks whether you like it or not, Webber," I joked.

She laughed. "Alright, Swan, I'll let you have your way this time."

A smile melted onto my face, and I was relieved to find my lips could form that shape still. Charlie had tried countless of times to cheer me up, and while some of them had succeeded, he hadn't managed to get me to smile. Angela had finally been the one to break the streak. I wouldn't have asked for anyone else.

The rest of the ride was filled with idle chat and horrible singing. No, Angela and I did not have horrible voices; we just found it amusing to sing off-key. After a while, riding in a car on a highway and then interstate got boring. What better way to keep you from slowly going insane then bashing songs? I couldn't think of anything.

We arrived at the mall about ½ hour later. It didn't take a full 3 hours to get to the mall, but that was only because traffic was light. We stopped in the food court first to get some food. I went to Subway. They were always safe. Some of the other places looked…shady. Yeah, that's how I would describe them. Not shady as in the shade from a tree, but shady as in you should watch what you get from those places because it might be poisoned. Okay, maybe poisoned was too much. I won't think on it any further.

Lunch passed by relatively quickly. Ang and I didn't each much. We never had, if I were honest. Sure, we weren't anorexic or anything like that, but we just didn't have very big appetites. We quickly discarded our trash and headed for Bed, Bath, and Body Works. I was instantly overwhelmed by the many aromas in the air. "Um, Ang, I think I'll wait for you in Victoria's Secret. My nose is getting physically assaulted."

Ang laughed at my choice of words but motioned for me to go ahead. "I'll grab you something that smells good," she assured as I walked out of the store. Maybe I didn't walk. Maybe I had a nice light jog going on. Seriously though, I don't know what it was about today, but I couldn't take all of those smells at once unless I wanted a headache.

With a still-recovering sense of smell, I stepped into Victoria's Secret. I didn't hate the store really. Of course the name now slightly grated on my nerves, but that would disappear in time. The pink that seemed to be everywhere was a faint welcome, in a girly way. I wasn't much for dresses and heels, but I could appreciate a little feminine touch every once in a while. Hey, I am a girl. We've all got a little princess inside, secretly waiting for the white horse and prince or whatever floated your boat. The lace and glitter helped with that also. Ugh, why was I like this all of a sudden?

Pushing my thoughts aside, I found my way around the racks and displays. I needed some things, so I guess I could grab a few. Lucky for me, they had a lot of stuff on sale. I always loved grabbing an unintentional discount. It made me feel…awesome. Like I had won a prize that I didn't even know I was in the running for kind of feeling.

It was when I was browsing a matching bra and panty pair that I first felt the feeling. It was an ominous feeling and extremely prominent. I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched by someone, someone I didn't need to be watched by. I pushed down the feeling. I was probably just imagining things. I had become unwillingly more observant since the incident with Victoria. The wind brushing against my window often had me on edge most nights. This feeling wasn't new, and while it was disconcerting, I tried not to think any more about it.

The key word there in that last sentence is 'tried'. The feeling came back again, and it was so unnerving that I actually looked up and around me. However, I spotted nothing out of the ordinary. The sales clerk was cleaning up around her station. There was a group of younger girls near the underwear drawers, and a middle-aged woman was looking at the bathing suits available. They were all solely focused on what they were doing. So why did I feel like I had unwanted attention?

Angela came up behind me and spooked me. I jumped and snapped my head to the side to look at her with wide eyes. "Ang, don't scare me like that again! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

She held up her hands in a sign of peace. There was a worried look on her face. "It's only me, Bella. I'm sorry I scared you. Are you okay? Did something happen?"

I shook my head, instantly easing her worries some. "No, I'm fine. I just have this really odd feeling someone's watching me. It's probably nothing. I've been on edge since the accident." Huh, it was no accident, but I wasn't about to tell her that.

She nodded in understanding and looked to see what I had in my hands. "Oh, that's so cute!" she gushed at the pink and cream set I had been looking at. It was pretty cheap, and I contemplated on purchasing it. "You should totally get those! They'll go really well with your dark hair." It's decided then. I'm getting them.

"Why don't you find you something, Ang?" I asked as I walked up to the register. "I'll pay for this while you look around."

"Yeah, I'll do that. You can find me when you're finished."

I nodded my head in agreement, and she walked off. I turned around to find the sales clerk smiling at me patiently. I handed her what I wanted, and she rang them up. "Did you find everything okay?" she asked as was usual of something in her position.

"Yeah, everything was great," I said in order to appease her. In truth, I didn't have a problem with the setup or anything. I had always felt awkward answering those questions, and I'm sure the generic answers got boring for her after a while.

I paid, and she handed me my bag. "Thank you for shopping here. We hope to see you again soon."

I simply nodded and turned to look around. I spotted Angela but decided I would give her some time to look alone. I knew how it felt to have someone looking over your shoulder, and it was annoying. I didn't want to annoy her. So, my attention was grabbed by the display of perfumes in the corner of the store. I wasn't a big perfume person, but a little bit here and there didn't hurt.

Suddenly, a hand touched my lower back. I instantly tensed and prepared to sock the person in the jaw. A voice stopped me, and I almost wished I had never gone shopping today. "Why Bella, it's shocking to see you in here. Did you get anything worthwhile?"

It was him, the vampire who had saved me. A weird sense of excitement and dread filled me. I would finally get to see who had killed Victoria and returned me back to Forks. Would I thank him? Honestly, he was more of a nuisance than anything, constantly being on my brain and not letting me figure out who he was while we were in the barn. Well, I thought as I turned around slowly, it's now or never.

Standing in front of me, looking like some actor from a western movie, was Jasper Hale. What the hell? He had been my savior? My thoughts instantly took a turn in direction, and I could almost see the humor on his face at my emotional rollercoaster ride. Why had he done it? Why wasn't it another Cullen? We had never been close. He had been one of the ones to side with Rosalie on ending me at the beginning. He had attacked me at my birthday party. I didn't blame him, but he didn't know that. He was indirectly the reason they all left. And here he was now, standing in front of me, wearing a pair of what looked to be distressed Levis and a button down shirt, looking like he had figured out some big secret.

"What the hell, Jasper?" I asked, a little too loudly. He glared at me momentarily before grabbing my arm. I was surprised by how gentle he was. I was too shocked to resist as he dragged me to a back part of the store.

"Be a little bit quiet, wont' you Bella? We don't want anyone to think I'm hurting you. That will cause trouble."

I rolled my eyes. He could very damn well cover his own sparkly ass with a few words if he wanted to, and he knew it. "How is it you?"

He cocked his head to the side and pretended to think, frustrating me. "Hmm, I don't know, let's see. Alice kicked me out of the family because she was tired of me. I was all too willing to leave her and the others. They don't know how to be a real vampire. They're like a wild cat trying to be a kitten. It just doesn't suit my style."

"'Your style'?" I asked with mouth agape. "What is your style? You saved me. Surely you're not a sadistic killer now."

He chuckled, and I remembered it sounded almost the same it had weeks ago. "Have you not noticed my eyes, Bella?"

Now that he mentioned it…I looked up to be met with sparkling rubies. Holy shit, he ate humans! "Jasper, what did you do?"

He rolled his eyes. I would have hit him if I knew it wouldn't hurt me and only cause him more humor. I couldn't see what was funny in this situation. "Surely I don't need to explain to you the mechanics of my red eyes, Bella. Have you forgotten everything Edward taught you?"

I growled, and I didn't miss the smirk that appeared on his handsome face. "Edward taught me the basics, yes. That doesn't explain why you decided to revert back to the original lifestyle."

He shrugged, as if not affected by the murdering of human life. "It wasn't so hard. I've done it before, I can do it again. Plus, Charlotte and Peter agree that I'm a better vampire this way. I'm not going to deny my most basic instinct, Bella. I'm not as pure and thick-headed as the Cullens believe themselves to be. I know what I am, and I know what I must do."

"You survived off of animals with the Cullens. What's different? Did your friends pressure you into doing it?"

His eyes hardened to golden steel. Apparently I had touched a nerve. Hmm, I should put that away to remember. When needing to rile Jasper up, talk about friends. "Peter and Charlotte are my family. They were with me in the war, and they're with me now. They haven't called me weak. They haven't looked at me with disappointment written all over their faces. They haven't blamed me for killing a human. They're my friends, my true family. The Cullens were a passing thing. I never felt at home with them. I stayed because of Alice. As it turns out, she tricked me. She wanted me because she knew I could protect her. She saw me as a challenge. She wanted to change me from my harsh ways into something softer, more human. I told you. The Cullens were wild cats trying to be kittens. I'm a wild cat without boundaries who will not try to force myself into something I'm not."

I could see his point, but that did not mean I agreed with it. Yes, the Cullens were pansies if you wished to view them like that. They claimed themselves to be stronger because they could resist human blood, but it only made them weaker. They were more susceptible to them smell. Jasper's eyes had darkened and hardened but only from mild anger, not thirst. In fact, he was standing in front of me in all of his glory, muscular arms crossed over an equally muscular and hard chest, hair falling in his face and around his ears like a halo, eyes glaring down at me with slight irritation, and not once have I seen him stop breathing or look uncomfortable. By now, Edward would have his lips pressed tightly together and a forced smile on his face to make people not wonder so much. Jasper was totally at ease for a vampire in Victoria's Secret.

"Bella!" a voice called, and I broke away from staring at Jasper. Wait, I had been staring at Jasper. Oh God, what is happening to the world?

"Yes?" I called back. I watched as Angela dodged a mannequin and caught sight of me and another as well. I sighed. Great, let the questions begin.

"Jasper Hale?" Angela asked in slight awe and confusion.

He flashed a perfect smile, white teeth shining and full of charm. "Angela Webber, I believe."

She nodded. "It's been so long since you guys have been around. How are you? Have you all returned or just you?"

I flinched at the one question I had tried to avoid asking. I really didn't want the others to be back, but if they were, I guess I would have to deal with them. Angela caught my flinch and gave me a sympathetic look. I smiled slightly in thanks.

"No, the others aren't back. They're still in L.A. Carlisle's enjoying his new job, and Esme loves the warm weather." I had to bite back a laugh. It's not like they were getting outside much. "The others are either away traveling or at college. I just finished classes for the summer and decided to come back here, see how Bella was doing."

"Oh, that's so sweet," Angela said. I rolled my eyes. "It's nice to see you again. Are you ready to go Bella?" She seemed to catch herself and paused uncertainly. "If you want to catch up with Jasper, that's fine. I can wait for you at Hot Topic if you want."

I glanced over my shoulder at the dirty blonde vampire behind me. He seemed to feel my dilemma and solved it for me. "No, it's okay. I don't want to take up any of your time. You two enjoy yourselves. I'll be around for a few days. I can get in touch with Bella some other way."

Angela nodded, and I gave Jasper a confused look. He winked, and I felt something at my back pocket. What the hell? Was he grabbing my ass? I realized that he had only slipped a piece of paper into the pocket there. Oh, okay, at least now I don't have to cuss him out in front of everyone, I can do it in private.

"That sounds like a good idea," I answered. "You know where I live. You can just stop by any time you like."

He smiled at me and Angela and nodded. "I'll see you ladies later," he stated, throwing in a crooked smile before walking off.

Angela and I just stood there for a moment, looking at each other, not knowing what to say. Finally, she broke the silence. "You sure know how to attract attention in the strangest ways, Bella."

I smiled sadly. "Yeah, it seems to find me. I didn't even know he was in town. Did you?"

We started walking to Hot Topic. She shook her head. "I had no idea. I didn't even think about any of them ever coming back. They're the type of people that, when they skip town, they don't return, you know?"

I nodded in understanding. "I get where you're coming from. I can't believe he confronted me in Victoria's Secret though. That's a bit weird." I had always unnerved me to see males in Victoria's Secret. If they came in with a girlfriend, I could understand, but a single male walking into a lingerie store? It was awkward.

Angela laughed. "It was pretty funny. When I first saw him, I was more shocked to see him in the store rather than talking to you. He always came off to be a real masculine guy. I wonder how bad his ego must be hurt at the moment."

I laughed with her. "I would imagine it would be crushed at this moment." We stepped into Hot Topic, and my phone buzzed in my back pocket. I pulled it out and saw I had a text from a number I didn't know. Huh, that was strange. I opened it anyway, just to see what it said. _You two are the only ones wounding my ego, Swan._

What? The text could only be from Jasper, but how could he have heard what we were saying? He must be somewhere near, then. Sure enough, I saw a flash of dirty blonde and cowboy boots walking in the crowd outside. I rolled my eyes and replied. _I'm shopping, you jerk. Don't bother me until I can spend my undivided attention frustrating you with my obvious lack of knowledge._

Just before I pocketed the phone, it buzzed again. _Talk to you later, Swan. Oh, and the pink, it's lovely_.

The blush that covered my cheeks could not be helped. Angela raised an eyebrow at me. I just chuckle and shook my head, letting my attention get lost in the rows of black in front of me.

**Author's Corner**

**Hello everyone. I was so excited to see the new **_**Hobbit **_**trailer. If you're interested, you should totally watch it. You will not be disappointed.**

**I would like to thank my reviewers: teddymonsterbear, Matthias Stormcrow, and JynxxD. I sincerely thank you all for reviewing, and I hope this chapter did not disappoint. I would also like to thank those who have followed and favorite-d this story. To know that people like this story is a huge relief, and it brings me joy. Just ask Ali. I literally squealed for like 5 minutes when she made me aware of my first review.**

**Anyway, I hope you all review once again. The more people that review, the harder and faster I'll work on the chapters. I work best with motivation. I hope you all are safe and having a good time in your life. Good night!**

**-Fire**

**(I still don't own **_**Twilight**_**. Also, I don't own any of the shops mentioned or the brands. I just like them.)**


	6. Chapter 5: Would You Like Some Fries?

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the lovely Twilight. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

I entered my house with my hands full. Bags hung from both arms, and I surprised myself by being able to even open the door correctly. It was an awkward experience, sure, but at least I managed to accomplish it. Ten points to Bella! Shopping with Angela had been a very successful adventure overall. I came away with enough clothes to fill my closet to the brim as well as my drawers. I had also discovered who my savior was. Yes, I felt very relieved and a little miffed at who it turned out to be. I mean, Jasper-freaking-Hale, or whatever he went by, had saved me from the red-headed bitch just to give me hell afterwards. Some friend he was. Well, we had never been close, but still, he could have shown some kindness. After all, I could have died under the hands of Victoria. As it was, I had been severely traumatized. The least he could have done would have been to tell me who he was instead of just showing up in Victoria's Secret. I mean, really? Did he not have the balls to tell me in the first place? What made him follow me into a freaking lingerie store?

If you spoke of the Devil, he appeared, or so the saying goes. In this case, the saying was right. A text from aforementioned annoying vampire man appeared on my phone screen. _Are you just going to stay in your room the whole time?_

What the hell? How did he know I was in my room? I looked around at the window, but the curtains covered it. Okay, so he couldn't see into the house. Obviously he was somewhere near if he knew what room I was in. I attempted to remain calm. If he was as close as his text claimed he was, he would be able to feel my emotions. I don't need him knowing how much his remarks get under my skin and how freaked out I was that he was stalking me. Gosh, I had just gotten rid of Edward, and he was the biggest vampire stalker on the planet. Now I had to deal with another one? _If I want to, I will. What's it to you?_ I was pleased with myself. That reply showed that I would do what I wanted, no matter if he approved or not. Let that go to his super vampire ego.

I stepped downstairs, going to prepare dinner for Charlie. I had approximately two hours before he would be home, and that gave me enough time to fix the steak and potatoes that were available. As soon as my foot reached the bottom of the staircase, my phone vibrated again. Maybe if I destroyed it, he wouldn't be able to talk to me. My mind instantly came up with multiple solutions on how to destroy my phone. I could take Dad's shotgun and blow it to pieces. I could smash it with a hammer. It had already been thrown against a wall multiple times and still worked, so that was out of the question. Silence sounded heavenly right now. All I wanted was peace from the supernatural, and the supernatural kept annoying the shit out of me. _May I come in?_

I faltered in my steps and had to catch myself before I fell. What? Jasper wanted to come into my house? Why? Did he suddenly want to be all friendly with me? What was up with him? _Why?_

I stood in place as I waited for the response. _Because I have nothing better to do, Swan. Just let me in, damnit._

I sighed and shook my head, even though I knew he couldn't see it. If he thought I was going to let him in, he was crazy! I don't care if he has nothing better to do. He could go jump into a pit of fire for all I cared. There's no way I'm letting him into my house. Sure, the Cullens weren't like the normal Hollywood vampires. They could enter any house they damn well pleased, but that didn't mean I was going to make it easy for him. Sure, he can come into the house. I'd give him hell about it later, though. Wait, later? Did I plan on seeing Jasper later? I just said he could go kill himself, so why the hell did I think about seeing him later?

I waltzed into the kitchen, determined to get the blonde vampire out of my head. Well, he wasn't really blonde. His hair color looked like rich honey with streaks of brown caramel in it. Hold up a second. Why does it matter exactly what Japser's hair looks like? Okay, I thought I was crazy before, but I've just dived head-first off the deep end. Wonderful. Are there any sharks that are interested in eating a crazy woman?

I had hoped to distract myself with cooking, but all throughout preparing the steak and potatoes, my thoughts returned to Jasper. Why was he here by himself? What happened to make him abandon the others and come look for me? Did he stay here when the others left, or did he travel with them and simply leave? I wanted answers, but I knew I would have to talk to the source in order to retrieve them. That was something I did not want do.

My phone vibrated, and while I tried my hardest to ignore it, curiosity eventually won out. _Swan, let me in._

_No_, I replied back quickly. I was not going to budge on this. If it became too bad, I'd turn off the phone.

_Swan…_

_Is that a threat, Hale?_

_It's Whitlock._

I was floored by his answer. What? Whitlock? What does Whitlock have to do with anything?

_My last name is Whitlock, Swan. Stop being so damned confused._

Well what else did he expect me to be? He suddenly mentioned the name Whitlock without ever telling me what it was. I've never heard the name before, so how was I supposed to know? Stupid vampire.

_Well thanks for telling me. Now leave me alone, Whitlock._

_Not happening, Swan. Unless you let me in…_

_Go rot in hell, leech._

_Ooh, an insult. Sorry sweetheart, but I've heard that one before. In fact, I believe your friend Jacob tends to use it quite a lot._

Jacob…Jacob? Jasper knew Jacob? Oh, this day just kept getting worse and worse. What would be next? Could rabbits talk too? Did they wear little vests and glasses? Okay Bella, enough "Alice in Wonderland" gibberish. Figure out how Jasper knows Jacob.

_You've met the wolves?_

_I can't say I've had the pleasure of meeting them, but yes, I have met them._

Wow. Way to bring down a dog's ego, Whitlock. The steaks finished, and I set them on a plate. I placed them in the microwave to keep warm while I worked on the potatoes.

_You know, I could help you._

_Make dinner? I don't trust you as far as I can throw you, and you'd probably burn my house down just for the hell of it._

_Why did you become such a downer all of a sudden? You're so damn bitter, Swan._

I scoffed. It wasn't like he had any room to talk. He was the one who had told me all about the evils of the vampire world. He was the one who said it was harsh and unforgiving, cold and cruel. Jasper Whitlock, you just ate your own words.

_I figure being captured by something that shouldn't exist does that to you._

_I'm wounded, Swan, really._

_Go kill a kitten, Whitlock._

_Only if you let me in._

_Is that a promise?_

_Do you want it to be?_

The potatoes started to boil over during our cyber war. I hurriedly stirred them, and the foam sunk down below the edge of the pot. I shook my head. I would be the one to make a mess if I kept letting Whitlock distract me. That's it. The phone is going off.

_Don't you dare turn your phone off._

_Or what? Are you gonna eat me? I'm so scared. Talk to you never, Whitlock._

I held down the power button, and the phone turned to black. I smirked and placed the phone on the table. I glanced at the clock to see how much time I had left until Charlie got home. I had half an hour before his Ford would be pulling into the driveway.

I drained the potatoes and lightly sprinkled them with salt and pepper. I placed a good helping of potatoes on two plates and a steak on each. I knew Charlie would want seconds, but I would probably get full before I even finished what was on my plate. I sat the plates down on either side of the table and went to fix drinks. I knew Charlie would want a beer, so I grabbed one. I got a Coke for me and placed them on the table. Just as I was finishing up, Charlie walked in. His boots scuffed against the hardwood floor, and I flinched slightly at the loud sound. Charlie couldn't be silent to save his life.

"Bells?" he called from the foyer.

"I'm in the dining room, Dad! Supper's ready!"

"Oh, good," I heard him say to himself.

After he had put everything in its place, he walked into the dining room. I had already taken my seat and was waiting for him. He sat down, complimenting me as he did.

"This looks really good, Bells. Thanks," he said.

"No problem, Dad," I replied.

We ate in silence. I occasionally asked him about his day, and he asked me what I did with my day. I told him about the shopping trip with Angela but left out the part about Jasper. I didn't need Dad knowing that one of the famous Cullens were back. He'd probably freak out. A freaked out Charlie would probably be hilarious to Jasper, but to me, the one who would have to deal with him, it would be far from it.

"So, Bells, have you talked to Jacob lately?"

Dad, please stop trying to set me up with Jacob. He was a damn werewolf for God's sake. I don't want anymore supernatural boyfriends. "No, Dad. Why? Has Billy called you?"

Charlie shook his head in the negative. "I was simply wondering. You know, if you wanted to head down to the reservation tomorrow, I wouldn't stop you. I know you've been hanging around the Webber girl a lot, but I think you shouldn't hide away from your other friends, like Jacob. He was there for you when Cullen left. He probably feels like you've abandoned him."

'Abandoned him'? Jacob felt like I had abandoned him? No way in hell. He was probably running around with the Pack, joking and barking. Ha, Jacob was barking because he's a werewolf. Get it? No? Alright then, attempt at humor failed Bella. Anyway, on to more important matters, Jacob hadn't contacted me, so what made Charlie think I was the one doing the abandoning? "Dad, Jacob hasn't called since my kidnapping. How am I abandoning him when he hasn't tried to reach out to me?"

Charlie held up his hands, palms facing forwards. His gesture was probably meaning to placate me, but the coals for my temper were already got. Someone simply has to pour the gasoline on them. "I know he hasn't called you, Bells, but he probably doesn't know how to approach you. I mean, you two were best friends. He was worried sick the whole time you were gone. Billy was worried he was going to have a nervous breakdown. I just want you to call him, tell him that you still value your friendship."

I shook my head. "I do value our friendship, Dad, but Jacob will have to seek me out first. I'm the victim in this situation, not Jacob." I knew it was harsh to play the victim card with Charlie, but I felt like Charlie was taking Jacob's side in this. Was it always going to be this way? Was he going to take Jacob's side over mine, his own blood? I had never thought of it before, but now that I had, I was scared by the fact I didn't know the answer. With Charlie, I felt like it could go either way.

He nods, signaling that the discussion is over. We finished eating in silence, and I assumed correctly when it came to Charlie getting seconds. When he was finished, he placed the dishes in the dish washer and went to watch the game. I returned upstairs to take a shower.

In the shower, I tried not to think of Jasper. I completely failed. He was in every single thought, and no matter how hard I tried to think of something else, my mind always turned back to Jasper. I had more questions than answers on his mysterious appearance, but I knew that the only way to tell if he was telling me the truth was to speak with him face-to-face. Preferably, the meeting would happen somewhere more reasonable this time around. I considered having Angela come with me as backup, but then decided that I wouldn't be able to acquire the answers I seek if a human other than me was present. Well damn, it looked like I would walk into the lion's den by myself after all.

After the shower, I went downstairs and grabbed my phone. I walked back upstairs without distracting Charlie from his ever-watchful gaze on the flat screen. I swore that not even a gun going off could keep him from watching a good game. I could run downstairs screaming at the top of my lungs, and he'd just ask me what was wrong without turning his gaze away from the game. That man was in love with all sports except golf and tennis. Hell, I had even caught him watching a NASCAR race once. Can that even be considered a sport? **(A/N: Trust me, the fact that some people don't consider NASCAR a sport is outrageous. I am a huge NASCAR fan, and I will forever be one, so don't hate on this. I just can't imagine Charlie as a fan of it.)**

I plopped down on my bed and turned my phone on. Sure enough, I had close to 50 new text messages. Guess how many were from Jasper? 48. That's right, 48. The other two were from Angela and Jessica. Angela asked if I had gotten home alright, and Jessica wanted to know if I wanted to go see the new "The Lone Ranger" movie with her. I replied back positively to both. Hey, why not? Johhny Depp was hot, okay? I can afford to be a Disney kid sometimes. Begrudgingly, I opened up the ones from Jasper. They basically went like this.

_What the hell, Swan? Turn your damn phone on already and answer me!_

Needless to say, I definitely wasn't going to answer him if he still had a superior attitude. I turned my lights off and plugged my phone up. I made sure to turn it on silent so I wouldn't be woken up by any new text messages. Then I snuggled into my covers and went to sleep. And, for some unknown reason, I dreamed about a certain honey blonde vampire. They weren't even bad ones, either.

When my eyes opened the next morning, I was met with dark red pools and a sweet yet musky, cinnamon and leather scent. I instantly jerked back, hitting my head against the headboard. "Oh, shit!" I yelled, making sure to not be too loud. I didn't want Charlie charging in here like a bat out of hell.

I heard a chuckle above me. "That's a very nice way to use your words in the morning, Swan. Don't tell me Daddy taught you how to talk like that."

I rolled my eyes. "It's too damn early in the morning, Whitlock. Why can't you leave me the freak alone?"

"I never knew you were so interested in me, Swan. I'm surprised! Is your next question going to be why I'm so hot?"

If I could punch him without hurting myself, I would. I would do it over and over again. The bastard woke me up at 8:30 on a freaking Friday morning on summer break. I mean, hello, that's when everybody sleeps in! And stupid Jasper Whitlock had to ruin my good dream. Of Jasper Whitlock. Ugh, I definitely don't need to tell him that. His ego would be so huge it would burst. Hey, that might be kind of funny in a cartoon-violence way.

"Please, Whitlock, if you're going to stroke your ego, do it somewhere I'm not. Preferably where there's someone who would enjoy it, like a gay bar."

Jasper scoffed. "I'm not gay, Swan. I like tits, thank you very much."

I groaned. "I may be a girl, but that doesn't mean I understand a man's fascination with tits, Whitlock. Why don't you talk about something less sexual at this early hour?"

"Okay," Jasper allowed, "why did you turn your phone off yesterday night?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because I didn't want to talk to you."

Jasper scoffed. "Why would any female not want to talk to me?"

"You're an ass," I stated calmly.

"Aw, I'm hurt Swan, really." He quickly recovered. "Do you like my ass? You know, people have said I have a nice one."

"I could care less about what your behind looks like, Whitlock. Will you please leave me alone?"

Jasper sits down in the rocking chair placed in the corner of my room. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why you turned your phone off."

"I already did," I told him, burying my face back in the pillow. I was going to sleep. I didn't care if he was in the room or not.

"Nuh uh, Swan," Jasper scolded. "You're not going back to sleep until I'm finished talking."

"I'm not listening, so why does it matter?"

"I thought you wanted answers."

Well damn, he got me. "I do want answers, but I don't want them this early. I can't think. My brain is all fuzzy and can't work correctly."

I heard Jasper sigh. Yes! He gave up! "Fine, Swan, have it your way. I'll let you sleep for a few more hours, and then I'm waking you up again."

I simply hummed and sailed back off to dreamland. Jasper could wait all he wanted to. He better make sure he doesn't wake me up again until after 10, though. Jesus, I know vampires don't sleep, but couldn't they have a little sympathy for us humans? It was ridiculous that I was even conscious at this God forsaken hour.

Thankfully, I woke up on my own. I opened my eyes and saw Jasper in the same place as he was when I fell asleep. I stretched and turned to look at the clock. 10:42 looked back at me. I smiled in satisfaction. I had gotten some sleep after all.

"Are you that happy about a few extra hours of sleep, Swan?"

I nodded. "Sleep is a highly addictive drug, Jasper. I'd say you should try it, but you're dead."

Jasper snorted. "Okay, enough with the pun and junk. Ask me all those questions you've been piling up."

"Would you like some fries with that order?"

I managed to get a small grin out of him. "I don't eat fries, Swan, but nice try. Now, if you don't become serious, I'm going to leave."

"I can't become Sirius Black, Whitlock."

Jasper started to rise from the chair, and I quickly understood that his threat was not empty. I sighed and motioned for him to sit back in the chair. He did. I leaned up against the headboard, pulling the covers up around me. "Who are Peter and Charlotte exactly?"

He brightened up a bit at the mention of their names. "Peter is my brother in all but blood, and I sired him. Charlotte is his mate. They were with me during the Southern Vampire Wars."

"'Southern Vampire Wars'?" I questioned.

Jasper looked confused before understanding dawned on him. "Edward never told you, did he?"

I shook my head. "Edward never mentioned much about anyone's back story. He said I would have to get them from the source."

Jasper nodded. "I guess that was for the best. _Before I tell you my story…you must understand that there are places in our world…that are more desirable to us than others. Places where we can be less restrained, and still avoid detection…Not that the covens in the South care much for what humans notice or do not. It's the Volturi that keep them in check. They are the only ones the southern covens fear…_

"_It's a different world in the South. The immortals there come out only at night. They spend the day plotting their next move, or anticipating their enemy's. Because it has been war in the South, constant war for centuries, with never one moment of truce. the covens there barely note the existence of humans, except as soldiers notice a herd of cows by the wayside – food for the taking…You see, though newborns are dangerous, they are still possible to defeat if you know what you're doing. They're incredibly powerful physically, for the first year or so, and if they're allowed to bring strength to bear they can crush an older vampire with ease. But they are slaves to their instincts, and thus predictable. Usually, they have no skill in fighting, only muscle and ferocity. And in this case, overwhelming numbers._

"_The vampires in southern Mexico realized what was coming for them, and they did the only thing they could think of…They made armies for their own._ _All hell broke loose – and I mean that more literally than you can possibly imagine…When the body count reached epidemic proportions – in fact, your histories blame a disease for the population slump – the Volturi finally stepped in. the entire guard came together and sought out every newborn in the bottom half of North America…It was enough that the fever for conquest did not spread from the South. The rest of the world stayed sane._

"_It didn't take long before covens began to dispute again. There was a lot of bad blood, if you'll forgive the expression. Vendettas abounded. The idea of newborns was already there, and some were not able to resist. However, the Volturi has not been forgotten, and the southern covens were more careful this time…The wars resumed, but on a smaller scale. Every now and then, someone would go too far, speculation would begin in the human newspapers, and the Volturi would return and clean out the city. But they let the others, the careful ones, continue. (Eclipse, pages 287-292)"_

"Okay, but what does that have to do with you, exactly? What was your role in the Wars?"

"_When I was human, I lived in Houston, Texas. I was almost seventeen years old when I joined the Confederate Army in 1861…My military career was short-lived…I was placed in charge of evacuating the women and children from the city when the Union's mortar boats reached the harbor…Just a mile outside the city, I found three women on foot…They had such pale skin, I remember marveling at it…I was stunned into silence. They were, without question, the three most beautiful women I had ever seen._

"_I'd never been superstitious in my life…Suddenly, I was unsure…Maria…took a step closer, and inclined her head as if she were going to kiss me. I stood frozen in place, though my instincts were screaming at me to run…A few days later…I was introduced to my new life._

"…_Maria wanted revenge, and she wanted her territories back. She wanted a superior army, so she sought out specific humans who had potential. Then she gave us much more attention, more training than anyone else had bothered with. She taught us to fight, and she taught us to be invisible to humans…I was quicker than the others, better at combat. Maria was pleased with me, though put out that she had to keep replacing the ones I destroyed…She decided to put me in charge of the others – as if I was being promoted. It suited my nature exactly. Success made Maria greedy. It wasn't long before she began to eye other cities…The fighting was intense. Many began to worry that the Volturi would return._

"_Decades later, I developed a friendship within a newborn who'd remained useful and survived his first three years, against the odds. His name was peter. I liked Peter…He didn't enjoy the fight, though he was good at it…And then it was time to purge again. The newborns were outgrowing their strength; they were due to be replaced…We were about halfway through, and I could feel that it was taking a great toll on Peter. I was trying to decide whether or not to send him away and finish up myself…The newborn I'd summoned was a female, just past her year mark. Her name was Charlotte. His feelings changed when she came into view; they gave him away. He yelled for her to run, and he bolted after her. I could have pursued them, but I didn't._

"…_I was preparing myself….when Peter returned. Peter told me about his new life with charlotte, told me about options I'd never dreamed I had. In five years, they'd never had a fight, though they'd met many others in the north. Others who could co-exist without the constant mayhem. In one conversation, he had me convinced. I was ready to go, and somewhat relieved I wouldn't have to kill Maria…I walked away without a backward glance. (Eclipse, pages 292-299)"_

**Author's Corner:**

**I apologize for the long wait on this chapter. It took forever for my muse to come up with ideas. I hope everyone in the USA has a happy 4****th**** of July. I would like to thank my lovely reviewers: jlove34, Matthias Stormcrow, jasper100, and bettina whitlock. I'd also like to thank those who clicked on the favorite and/or follow button(s). Thanks!**

**-Fire**


	7. Chapter 6: Traveling On Rough Ground

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer. There are also a lot of other things I don't own (spoiler alert!): High School Musical (any and all of them), the actors in High School Musical, the songs in High School Musical, Apple Jacks, Eminem's songs and albums, and any other artist and songs that are mentioned. I did purchase Eminem's Recovery album and listen to most of the artists, but that's beside the point.**_

It finally registered that he was deadly serious in what he had told me so long ago. Jasper had been through so much blood and horror. He had lived through it and come out stronger. He had not let it destroy him. I was in awe of how intense my new respect for him was. If I had known about Jasper's past, I would have taken our conversation after Prom more seriously. At the time, it had infuriated me. Why was he warning me against his world? Sure, I knew there was danger, but I was willing to accept it. I wanted to become one of them, a vampire. I wanted to be part of their world. He had called himself protecting me, but I had thought he was trying to get rid of me. He had scared me, that was for sure, but I was naïve and let it slip from my mind. Not completely, of course, for the words Jasper had spoken seemed to be ingrained. They came to me when Victoria had captured me, and they were coming back to me now. I realized how stupid I had been. A human shouldn't be part of a supernatural world. There was no sort of balance or peace between our worlds. Mortals were soft, fragile, weak, and had clouded judgments. Vampires were strong, swift, unforgiving, and masters of deception. Where mortals compared to a Yorkshire Terrier, vampires compared to Timber Wolves. Vampires could wipe our mortals with a simple sweep, and the mortals could do no more than cower in fear.

"So you…you weren't telling me to leave your world? You were letting me know what would happen if I joined?"

Jasper nodded. "I should have known you would have taken it like you did. I thought that you would heed my words, but all mortals misconstrue true meanings."

I had to agree with him there. Teenagers were a big part of the populations that did such things. There were multiple meanings to words and phrases. You could tell someone they were "sick" and mean they were awesome instead of physically or mentally ill. Even I, a recently crowned young adult, didn't understand all of the sayings.

I decided to focus on Jasper's story. I found myself oddly wanting to know more about him and his world. "You stayed with Peter and Charlotte for a while, then?"

"Yes, I stayed with them for a few years. We still hunted humans. The emotions started getting to me, so I traveled from them. I had never called one place home before, and I suppose that I didn't want to start. A while later is when I met Alice in Philadelphia."

"You met Alice in Philly? What in the world?" I exclaimed.

Jasper frowned and rolled his eyes. "Charlie's coming up now. Tell him you were talking to Jessica or Angela on the phone."

I was all ready to scold him, but he disappeared. I knew he was still in my room somewhere, and I considered letting him know of my displeasure. However, I figured Charlie wouldn't take too kindly to me talking to thin air. I could imagine the expression on my Dad's face, and I bit my lip to hide my laughter.

Sure enough, a knock sounded on my door a few moments later. "Come in," I told Charlie.

He poked his head in and looked over at me. "Hey, Bells, I was just checking on you. Are you okay? I heard you yell or something."

I nodded my head. "I am fine, Dad. I was talking to Jessica. She wants to go to the movies, and so I called her. We were just catching up."

Charlie nodded, eagerly accepting my lie. "Alright, I was just making sure you are okay."

"I'm fine, Dad," I repeated.

"Good. Well, I guess I'll go over to Billy's later on this evening. There's a game coming on, and he invited us over. Do you want to go?"

I shrugged, but inside my mind started planning. If I went to Billy's house, Jacob would undoubtedly be there. I could confront him about his silence and demand an explanation. "Sure, Dad, I'd like that a lot."

Charlie smiled and started backing out of my room. "Okay, Bells. I plan on leaving around 4. The game started at 6. Make sure you're ready by then?"

I nodded. "I'll be ready, Dad."

Charlie smiled one more time before closing the door. I felt the side of my bed dip slightly and looked up at Jasper. His closeness took my breath away. "Jasper, what the…" I managed to get out before my air supply depleted.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Swan? Are you suicidal?"

I considered his words for a moment and tried to decipher why there was a need for them. "No, I don't think so. At least, I don't feel like I can take my own life at the moment. Why? What brought this questioning on?"

Jasper scoffed at me. "Don't be so f***ing stupid, Swan! You're going into the Wolves' den! What the hell possessed you to do that?"

"Jacob is my friend, Jasper!"

He seemed slightly shocked that I called him by his name, as was I. What happened to the space calling him by his last name gave me? It wasn't like I was talking to a nuisance anymore. It was if I was talking to a friend. Did I want him as a friend? What did being his friend require on my end? "I don't care if the dog is your friend, Swan! You don't need to be around them! They're volatile and children!"

"And you're a cold blooded killer, a vampire! Should I stay away from you?" I fired back.

He paused in his anger, and I could see it slowly slip from his eyes. He backed away from me and went to stand by my window. "You should," he stated dryly. "I could kill you right now, and Charlie would come upstairs to a dead daughter."

I shrugged. "You know, if you were to kill me right now, the only regret I would have is not setting your ass on fire beforehand."

He chuckled, and I realized I had missed the sound these past days. Whoa, what was wrong with me? First, I was evaluating his eyes. Then, I used his first name and thought about what being his friend would entail. Now, I reminisced in his chuckle. C'mon, Swan, get your head in the game. Hey, that's from High School Musical. No, don't go there! The song will be stuck in your head all day!

"You're emotions are a whirlwind, Swan. What are you thinking about?"

Oh, he had moved to sit in the chair. I should be more observant. What was I thinking? I can't tell you that! Lie, Swan! "I'm thinking about how you are partially right."

His face lit up in pride and satisfaction. Oh God, why did I say that? Why didn't I say something else? "Do tell me how I'm 'partially right'."

I shrugged. "Jacob and the Pack are children and oftentimes don't think before they act. However, they were there for me in a tough time. I almost hit rock bottom, Jasper. At one point, I would have answers yes to your suicidal question. Then Victoria came and…it was a rough time in my life, Jasper. I had only just started to really recover and move on from the Cullens disappearance. Victoria ruined all the nights I actually slept well. She tore up my need to live. Those days before you appeared, I had subconsciously accepted that I would never see my father or Angela again. I would never go to College, never get a job, never get married and give my mom those grandkids she wants. I would have never had any of that.

"Now, I realized I wouldn't have had any of that if I had become a vampire, but at least I would have had you all. Y'all would have been my family. I had nothing those few days. It took everything in me to break down. So, as for why I'm so bitter, it's because that's the only way I know how to keep myself from breaking. I don't want to break, Jasper. Not now. Not ever."

Jasper stayed silent for a long time. My stomach made its presence known, and I stood from my bed. "I'm going to take a shower and eat something. You are welcomed to stay here if you wish. Don't think I'm asking you to stay, though. I don't care."

I closed the door behind me and headed to the bathroom. I did as I said I would do and took a shower. I cursed when I realized I didn't bring clothes with me. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a stack of clothes on the small counter. Jasper must have brought them in for me. I shrugged and pulled on the clothes. I raised an eyebrow at the underclothes he had chosen. They were pink and not-so-different from the ones I bought from Victoria's Secret the other day. Did Jasper have some weird sort of fascination with pink, or did he simply want to make me uncomfortable? Whatever it was, I quickly pushed the thought out of my mind. Most girls would have been bothered that a man went through their intimates, but for me, I couldn't care less. It wasn't as if he saw me in a lustful way. If he did, I would have been embarrassed.

I pulled the pair of shorts on and was surprised that he chose a pair of my wilder ones. They were turquoise with a flower pattern on them. I called them my wilder shorts because they ended right underneath my bum. I wasn't one that often wore such revealing clothing, but every once in a while I liked to be a little…bold. The shirt was a simple tank top that matched the peach color of some of the flowers. I brushed me hair out and blow-dried it. I pulled it back in a ponytail. If I was going to be cooking, I didn't want it to get into my way. Plus, I wanted to get outside some today. Perhaps I could drive down to one of the trials and spend the better part of my day hiking. Jasper could even accompany me if he wished. Or not, since I would look like a fool, tripping over everything and anything while he remained in his perfect state. Ugh, sometimes I didn't understand why such horrid creatures were so damn beautiful. It didn't make sense and certainly wasn't fair.

I walked out of the bathroom and down to the kitchen, not even sparing a glance at my bedroom on the way down. I kept telling myself that I didn't care if he was in there or not, but deep down, I knew I did. This was so damn confusing. Did I hate him? Did I wish his ass would burn? I don't know. I thought I did, but now I knew I didn't.

"Have you eaten yet, Dad?" I asked Charlie when I saw him cleaning his gun in the living room.

He looked up and raised an eyebrow at my appearance. I rolled me eyes, and he chuckles. "I made me a sandwich earlier, Bells. I'm not hungry yet."

I nodded. "Okay, well I'm going to fix me a bowl of cereal and head out. I'm going to go hiking on one of the trails."

Charlie looked startled. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Bella?"

I shrugged. "Probably not, Dad, but I'm going to do it anyway. I need some fresh air and sunshine. It actually looks like a half-decent day today, and I'm going to take advantage of that."

Charlie nodded. "Alright, but be careful when you go. Make sure to carry water with you and wear your boots."

"I will, Dad," I told him, heading into the kitchen. I grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and poured in Apple Jacks. I placed that back and poured milk into the bowl. After grabbing a spoon, I sat at the counter and ate. While I was eating, I managed to keep my mind blissfully clear from any thoughts about a certain vampire. I finished rather quickly, eager to get out and about. I opened the dishwasher and put the dishes in. It was pretty full, so I set it to cycle. The dishes would be done and rinsed by the time I got back, hopefully. I grabbed my backpack, which was empty since school was out, and filled it with a few water bottles as well as a first-aid kit. I walked to the foyer and grabbed a jacket. It might be sunny, but Forks was always cold. I don't think it ever gets over 70 degrees in the summer. It might, on rare occasions, be a little over 70, but most of the time it stayed between a chilly 50 and 60. _**(A/N: I don't actually know if that's true. I'm just making it up. I'm sorry if it isn't, but for the purpose of this story, it is.)**_I laced my boots up and turned to tell me Dad I was heading out.

"Okay, Dad, I'm leaving!" I called.

"Alright, Bells," I heard him say. "Be careful, honey!"

I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. I knew he would get the message somehow. I made sure the door was locked behind me. I knew everyone that lived on my street and so did Charlie, but I wanted to take precautions. You could never be too safe. For some odd reason, Jasper's presence outside of my truck's passenger-side door didn't faze me. It wasn't that I was expecting him to be there, it's just that the fact he was there wasn't…shocking, I supposed. "Are you accompanying me?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Did you honestly think I would let you go by yourself, Bella?"

Oh, so he's using my first name now too. What was wrong with us? "I don't know. You're worse than a hormonal pregnant woman with your mood swings."

He frowned a bit at the comparison. "Vampires' brains are much more complex and skilled than humans'. We can feel many different emotions and many different levels in short amounts of time. They can switch at a much swifter rate than yours can."

I nodded, once again absorbing the information. I had figured something like that, but since I heard it from a vampire, it made it more concrete. "Do you plan to torture me on this trip?"

I climbed into the driver's side and unlocked the door, letting him get in. He did so with grace and ease. I was thankful that he didn't slam the door when he shut it. I didn't need even more of the paint rusting off my old, trustworthy…yeah, maybe not so trustworthy but definitely old, truck. "That wasn't my plan, no, but I could change them to that if you so wish."

I repeated his last four words with mockery in my voice. Was he trying to please me now or something? I leaned toward the something, but I could never tell with vampires, especially Jasper.

He caused me to take my eyes off the road when he reached for my radio. I glanced at his face when it didn't turn on. He looked thoroughly confused, and I laughed. "It's broken," I explained. "I have a CD in the player, and that will work. I'd say I'm sorry if you don't like the songs, but I'd be lying."

Jasper said nothing. He simply pressed the button that caused the CD to play. I remained quietly as Eminem's Recovery album started. It wasn't the explicit version. I wasn't a big fan of rap music when all they did was cuss every other word, so when I did buy a rap album, I bought them relatively clean.

"What is the world is this?" Jasper asked after a few seconds.

"It's Eminem," I replied in a 'duh' tone.

Jasper gave me a blank look. Holy crap, he didn't know about Eminem. "Do you listen to any music at all, Jasper?" I asked him, honestly curious.

He nodded. "I listen to some, but most of it is country and darker stuff."

Okay, now he's got my attention. "What darker stuff do you listen to?"

He shrugged. "I listen to Avenged Sevenfold, Black Veil Brides, Breaking Benjamin, Five Finger Death Punch, and Metallica. That's just a few."

I stared hard at the road in front of me. I listened to a lot of those artists' work as well. Perhaps we weren't all that different, other than the obvious difference in species. "What about the country side? How diverse are you in that aspect?"

Jasper smirked. "I live in Texas, Bella; I could go on and on."

I waited and motioned for him to continue. He sighed but did. "Let's see. I'll name a few off the top of my head. There's Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line, Little Big Town, Kasey Musgrove, Carrie Underwood, Randy Houser, George Straight, Rascal Flatts, the Zac Brown Band, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, and Faith Hill."

I held up a hand. "Okay, that's enough, I get it. You listen to just about everything and anything country music." I turned down a little side road and parked in the parking lot for campers and fellow hikers. It was empty, so most people were probably enjoying the beach instead of the damp forest. That was fine with me. It meant less people to see me fall on my face. I cut the engine of the truck and stepped out, throwing my bag over my shoulder as I did so. Except I misjudged the weight of the bag because the next thing I know, my back headed toward the rocks underneath my feet which were in the air. Apparently, the momentum from swinging the back had thrown my balance off and caused me to fall. I hadn't been here even 5 minutes, and I was already falling. Today was going to be a great day. Yeah, that sentence was laced with sarcasm, so don't be fooled into thinking I was in a good mood.

Jasper, bless his non-beating heart, rushed to my aid. He caught me before I touched the ground. That was the last thing on my mind at that moment, however, because a stream of buzzing seemed to occur at the point where his hand touched the bare skin at my waist. My tank top had ridden up during my fall. His hand touched the skin revealed between the hem and my shorts. The buzzing wasn't uncomfortable, but it was certainly a mystery. What was causing it? This wasn't his power. Whenever I had touched Edward or the others, this buzzing underneath my skin never occurred. So why did it show up now? What was the reason behind it?

Jasper must have felt it too and was disturbed by it. He helped me straighten up and made sure I was steady on my feet before hastily pulling away from me. He backed up a few feet and looked down and the hand that had touched my skin quizzically. Hmm, he must not know what caused it either. Wow, a vampire didn't know something. If I had a camera, I would take a picture and frame this moment.

I cleared my throat and grabbed my jacket. I locked the door and placed my keys in my backpack. "You ready to go?" I asked him, directing his stare from his hand.

He looked shocked that I was there but quickly recovered. "Yes, I'm ready. Do you have everything?"

I nodded and headed toward one of the trails. I knew it was a relatively easy one, hence why I chose it. I didn't want to end up on my behind more times that I could count on my hand. Unfortunately, I had already used one finger. I kept my mood firmly in check. I knew if I dwelled on it, I would only become enraged and go off on Jasper. He would find it amusing, but I would be teased about it later. I had no desire to be teased, so I kept my mouth firmly shut and my emotions under strict control.

Jasper, however, must have been oddly uncomfortable with the silence because he filled it. "You know, technically I'm breaking rules."

I snorted. "Your kind has rules against going hiking with clumsy humans?"

Jasper glanced at me with a raised eyebrow before gazing at his surroundings. "No, though you shouldn't know about us. That does break the rules, but I'm not too worried about the Volturi. They know who I am and what I'm capable of. They wouldn't dare go against me."

"You can stop boosting your ego any time now, dude," I told him dryly.

He smirked. "I'm breaking the rules because I'm in Wolf territory."

I flinched. Jasper was in the Wolves' territory? Wasn't there a treaty or something Jacob had talked about? Didn't the Cullens have some sort of agreement with the Wolves about territory or something? I racked my brain but couldn't remember all of the details. "What are you talking about, Jasper?"

"You know, I like being called by my name. It's oddly comforting," he admitted before clearing his throat, getting back to the original topic. "The Cullens had a treaty with the Wolves. They stayed on their territory, and we stayed on ours. We don't harm humans, and they don't harm us. It's simple, really, and was rather effective up until now."

I startled at how many things that one statement could mean. I hadn't heard about any deaths lately but…"Jasper, have you killed while you were in Forks?"

He nodded, and my gut instantly dropped to the dirt trail. Jasper sensed my emotion and was quick to reassure me. "I haven't hunted in Forks, Bella. You asked have I hunted since I was in Forks, and I have. I went out of town to Oregon before I hunted."

I sighed in relief then realized something. "The Wolves won't be so accepting of that," I stated.

He nodded. "I know. I've been meaning to pay Jacob a visit. I understand that he hasn't been treating you well lately." Jasper looked at me, waiting for my answer.

I rolled my eyes. "He hasn't been the best of a friend, that's true, but he's got other priorities. I understand."

"That's just it, Bella. You shouldn't have to. Jacob may have responsibilities, but he also has a responsibility to you. That should come before everything else if he truly values your friendship."

"What do you know about friendship all of the sudden?" I questioned harshly. What was he doing, digging into mine and Jake's relationship?

"Don't divert the subject, Swan," he replied coldly.

I sighed and consented, not wanting a fight. I jumped over a hole that was filled with water and was silently pleased when I landed soundly on the other side. "Jacob's dad and tribe mean everything to him. The Pack is the brothers and family he's always wished for. His sisters moved away and no one has heard much from them in a while. He needs someone there for him, and the Pack fits that need perfectly."

"You're disappointed that he didn't turn to you to fill that hole," Jasper stated. Of course I was, you Empath. I didn't mind Jacob had the Pack, but I wanted to be there for him too. I wanted him to be there for me. And he wasn't, so I wasn't about to jump into the role for him either.

"Jacob is old enough to chose who he wants in his life and who he doesn't," I said, glancing at the forest life around me. "I fell under the category of those he casts out."

Jasper freezes all of a sudden, and I decided to stop walking as well. I turned my body to face him fully so I could analyze him. His eyes darted back at forth over an area of a few yards. He took a sniff of the air and growled. The sound was frightening, dangerous, but undeniably sexy. Swan! There you go again! Do not think of Jasper like that! Bad girl! I also noticed how his muscles tightened underneath his clothes. His eyes honed in on something far off in the woods and glared.

Before I could register what was happening, Jasper was in front of me, crouched and growling low in his throat. "Bella," he said, his voice low and complete business, "I want you to stay right where you are and don't move, okay?"

I wouldn't do that until he told me what was going on. My mind instantly traveled to Victoria, but then I remembered that she was ash. What else could that leave? The Volturi? Fear suddenly pierced my heart. I didn't want the Volturi to be here. I was just starting to live again. I didn't need the Volturi killing me and ruining everything. But then again, it couldn't be the Volturi, because Jasper claimed he wasn't scared of them. There was no way he would wound his ego by acting like this if it was the Volturi. His pride would cause him to stand tall and defiant in the presence of the royal vampires. Then who could it be? "Who is it, Jasper?" I whispered hoarsely.

Jasper spared a glance back at me, and his eyes softened when they landed on me. The next moment, his head whirled back around. He growled again, more loudly this time in a clear warning. I imagined it said 'come any closer and you will regret it'. "The Wolves," Jasper replied coldly, anger in his voice.

The Wolves were here? What were they doing here? Oh…oh no! Jasper was in their territory! They were going to kill him! "Jasper, you need to get out of here! They're going to kill you!"

Jasper chuckled darkly. "They can't kill me, Bella. Why are you so concerned all of a sudden?"

I balked at the question. Werewolves were coming towards us, and he was asking me why I cared. What was wrong with him? I could hear them now. I heard movement in the forest. The brush was moving and things were snapping as their heavy paws pounded against the earth. I couldn't tell how many there were because I couldn't see them yet, but Jasper probably could. "You are in their territory! They act first and think second! They're not going to try and figure out why you're here; they're going to attack!"

Jasper scowled but continued the steady stream of growls. "They won't attack me while you're here."

I paused. I should have felt used, I supposed, but at the moment all I cared about was saving Jasper. I needed to get the Wolves attention so I could distract them from Jasper for a moment. If I managed that, I could calm them down. I could convince them to let Jasper go and explain his red eyes. At least, I hoped I could. Well, it looked like I wouldn't have much time left. In fact, I believed I had none. For in the next minute, there were 7 or 8 Wolves circling us. Jasper circled around me with them, keeping his eyes on the black Wolf, Sam, the leader. I decided if I would do anything, I needed to do it, now. And I would have to be loud. My eyes zoned in on the russet Wolf, Jacob. Here goes now or never.

"Jacob Black! How dare you not return my calls! I've been trying to get in touch with you for days, and all you've done is ignore me! Am I not enough for you anymore? Are you tired of having vampires come after me? Do you not want me as a friend? I can understand, but honestly, how are a bunch of smelling men that can turn into huge ass wolves better than me? And Jacob, don't even think about ignoring me! I'll call Billy and tell him you're being a jerk!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. Yep, I thought to myself. That sure worked. 8 pairs of eyes looked back at me without emotion. Amusement and slight gratefulness seeped out of Jasper and to me whether he meant it to or not. So I have the attention of 8 Werewolves, one of which I basically just fussed out, and a stupid, beautiful vampire. What does a girl do? I honestly didn't know. Oh God, please let them not eat me. I don't taste like chicken. Do I?

_**Author's Corner:**_

_**Two days in a row! This probably won't happen again, so enjoy it while it lasts…Yep, the moment is over now. Darn. Thank you to Matthias Stormcrow and jlove34 for reviewing the last chapter. I'm so glad you two loved it and are sticking with this story! I know I probably infuriate you all with the late updates, but I'm getting better about it, I promise! I hope everyone had a pleasant and safe 4**__**th**__**. Keep enjoying the summer everyone! It's almost gone! No!**_

_**Oh, and another thing before I leave you all for a short time (hopefully), will you lovely readers do me a favor? Will you head over to my other story, DemiGods? Will you read and review that, please? If you're not interested in that sort of stuff, I understand. I just wish to know if anyone thinks I'm doing okay or has any recommendations. Thanks anyway!**_

_**-Sapphire (Ooh, I used my full first name this time; did you notice?)**_


	8. Chapter 7: Yes, Oh Mighty Jedi Master?

_**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I dabble with the characters and plot line. I also don't own Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. I wish I did though. Dag. **_

_**I am so very sorry that it has taken me this long to update. School has started back, and with me taking a course that has proven to be very challenging, not only in understanding but in the load of work accompanying it, I have little time to write. Ideas have been flowing through my brain like crazy, but I can't seem to find the time to sit down in front of a computer and type them out. Anyway, here's the next chapter. I'm so very sorry for the delay. I hope you still enjoy.**_

The Wolves remained staring at me. I shifted uncomfortably. Shouldn't they say something? Did Cat get their tongue? Oh, that would be so funny. I considered asking them that out loud but decided against it for now. I didn't think it would be too wise to instigate them further. Their reactions would probably be hilarious, but it didn't seem to be the best thing to do right now. The Wolves were easily angered, and whenever their temper got the best of them, they Changed. Let them cool down a bit or piss me off further, and then I'd say it. Yep, that sounded like a good way to go. Or, maybe I could say screw it and ask them anyway. What the hell, if the conversation started to get too tense, I'd say it. I was already pretty aware that I had just trashed one of their brothers. If I was going to be in deep shit, I should dig myself a deeper grave while I'm still breathing. I didn't want to be stuck just underneath the surface. People would walk on me. Yuck.

"Well?" I asked no Wolf in particular. I didn't want to wait around for them to sort through their shit. I had a trail to finish and Charlie to get home to before 4 o'clock. Time was wasting, and I didn't like wasting time. Eh, I might as well go ahead and say it. I wanted to see how they would react. "Don't tell me Cat got your tongues. That's just sad, really. You guys claim to be Wolves, and y'all get beat by a Pussy."

The dark silver Wolf, Paul, growled at me warningly. Jasper growled right back, and that brought all attention back to him. Shit, there went my grandiose idea. Thanks, Jasper, I should kick your ass. What happened to the vampire that was telling me I was stupid for going into the Wolves' den? Where was he, huh? Apparently that vampire had jumped out of the window. Maybe he had sustained head damage when he finally landed on the ground. Could vampires be mental? Well, one thing I knew for sure, he couldn't blame any of this on me. I hadn't realized this was Wolf territory, but Jasper did. With his excellent senses and all, he had deduced it was Wolf territory by the smell I guess. Did the Wolves really stink? That would be so rich. But then, why didn't Jasper tell me earlier? Why did he wait for the Wolves to show up? We could have turned around and went to a different trail? Did he want to have a confrontation with the Wolves? Did he despise them that much? I had tried, and failed, to convince him to leave. I would have been fine on my own, and if he had complained too much, I would have gone with him. I could have found another trail. The blame definitely won't be on me.

There wasn't any noise besides growling. I huffed in annoyance. "Will one of you please change back and talk to us? I don't feel like standing here any longer, and I'm becoming bored rather quickly. A bored Bella is not a good Bella to be around. I'll start talking to trees if I have to."

The Wolves looked around at each other for some moments, seeming to communicate with themselves. Oh, that was right. The Wolves talked to each other mentally in that form. How could I momentarily forget that? It was probably because I hadn't been around them in such a long time. That must have been it. Once again, that wasn't my fault. I actually felt good that no blame could be placed on me. Today was a good day for Bella's record. No blames!

Finally, the Wolves seemed to have reached an agreement. A dark chocolate brown wolf trotted behind one of the trees, and I waited with bated breath. A man reemerged from behind the tree in a pair of shorts but nothing else. It was Quil. Why had they chosen Quil to be the spokesperson?

"Hey, Bella," he said, drawing my attention away from my confusion.

"Hi there, Quil. How are you?"

He shrugged and stopped behind the circle of Wolves. They were protecting their own, and that was fine. It wasn't as if Quil couldn't take care of himself, though, and if I had been him, I would have been highly annoyed. Quil was different than me, however, and he didn't seem too bothered by his brothers' protective stances.

Wait a moment, Bella. They chose Quil because they knew you wouldn't blow up at him. Hah! They should be ashamed of themselves! "So, did your brothers put you up to the chopping block because they knew I wouldn't yell at you?"

Some of the Wolves growled while others seemed to bark in laughter. Ah, I was getting through to them. This was good. The more comfortable they felt in my presence, the less likely they would be to attack Jasper. "It's something like that, Bella."

I nodded. "How have you all been lately? I'm sorry I haven't been around. Someone," I glared at Jacob, "made it seem like I wasn't welcome on the Res anymore."

Quil looked over my shoulder and glared at Jacob as well. "Nice going, Jake."

The Wolf whined and let his head fall. Sam barked at him, and he picked his head back up. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Quil. "Anyway, I really am sorry. I would have visited sooner. I wanted to, believe me. Jacob never answered my calls or text. It was as if he disappeared. I was prepared to confront him this afternoon when Charlie and I go to Billy's, but this opportunity presented itself."

Quil shook his head at my words; a smile played on his lips. "We all found it pretty hilarious," he admitted. "We didn't know what you were talking about, though, until the guilt took over Jacob. He started replaying the memories of what he had done, and then we understood. I'm sorry he treated you that way, Bella."

"I figured he wouldn't tell you guys. If he had, y'all would have come for me anyway, right?"

Quil nodded. "Without a doubt." He paused, and a sympathetic look came into his eyes. "Bella, about your kidnapping…we're all sorry."

I saw the sincerity in his eyes but couldn't stop myself from bristling at the mention of it. "Did you even try to find me?" I asked. My voice was hard, and I mentally patted myself on my back. It was the exact opposite of what I was feeling at the moment. Jasper was right. I was disappointed. I was disappointed in their obvious lack of care for me. If they had cared, the Wolves would have saved me, not Jasper.

Quil bowed his head and nodded. "We did. We searched all of Washington. We never imaged she would have you in New Mexico. We thought she would have kept you somewhere close, somewhere she could try to use you to trap us."

They thought she would keep me in Washington to trap them? What the hell was wrong with them? Victoria hadn't been after the Wolves! She had been after me! There was no reason for her to target the Wolves unless she planned on hurting me further! She was alone! She wouldn't have risked herself like that. Didn't they see that? Why didn't they understand?

With a sigh, I decided to let my anger go. There was no need for it now. If I blew up at the Wolves, I would never patch up our relationship, and Jasper would probably end up dead. "It's okay. I know you guys would have tried your hardest. I just…I had to ask."

Quil smiled at me a bit. Jasper growled, and Quil glanced away from me to glare at Jasper. "What we want to know, Bella, is why you're with a Cullen who has red eyes."

I rolled my eyes. "He has a name. Is that too punctual for y'all? And I'm with him because he's the one who saved me from Victoria. Honestly, did you think anyone other than a vampire could have?" I asked. I realized too late that I had unknowingly insulted their breed, but they didn't seem to mind, so I continued on. "And Jasper had red eyes because he drinks from humans. Gosh, are y'all going stupid on me all of a sudden?"

Quil ignored my last comment. "It doesn't mean you still have to be around him, Bella. Why is he here? Why are you still around him? Have you forgotten how they treated you?"

I flinched, and Jasper decided to speak. "No, she hasn't forgotten, Wolf. She's moved on. I'm not like them."

"You are a vampire," Quil stated. "That makes you just like them. The only difference is you kill humans."

I wanted to thank Captain Obvious, but I saw Jasper starting to speak and interjected instead. "He hasn't fed in Washington. He goes to other states. You have nothing to worry about from him. Leave him alone."

Quil scoffed. "Why are you standing up for him, Bella? You were so hurt after they left."

Why were you bullying him? You claim to be adults when you act like 5 year olds. I shook my head. "I'm over it. Jasper saved me. He's been there for me. I could have easily died. Didn't you know that? I didn't, though, because of Jasper. Jasper saved me.

"I could have slipped into a depression afterwards. I felt abandoned by y'all. Did you even think of what I was feeling? Was I even there in the back of your minds? Once again, because of Jasper, I didn't.

"When I needed you most, you weren't there. Jasper was. Sure, he's got demons, but who doesn't? He may be a vampire that kills humans, but why is he any different than any of the mortal murderers out there? I don't see you being prejudiced against them.

"So, do tell me Quil, what is the Pack going to do? Kill us? I won't let you kill him without killing me too." Some of the Wolves growled, and I growled right back, shocking them into silence. "You all need to grow up and realize not all vampires are the same! I swear y'all are worse than people in the segregation days!"

Quil flinched. I sighed. I hadn't originally meant to go off on them, but it just happened. Once I had started, I found I couldn't finish. "I'm sorry, Quil, but I needed to get that off my chest. I do still care for you lot, but you need to reassess your beliefs if you still want to be my friends. Right now, Jasper comes first to me. I'm not going to have him pushed away because of you."

Jasper straightened up to stand, and I startled a bit. I knew he was there, but I hadn't realized that I had spent the whole time talking about him. God, what was he going to think? I had basically, in no few words, said I cared for him as a good friend. Did he feel the same? Did I really care whether he did or not? Yeah, I did. I actually cared a whole lot more than I originally thought. Crap, this was not going to be good in the long run.

"I believe Bella and I will be leaving," he told the Wolves calmly. There were instant sounds of protest, but Jasper simply held up a hand to silence them. "You know how she feels now. I have done nothing to harm neither her nor any other human in this state. That's farther than you're territory reaches. I haven't changed a human, so you have nothing to hold against me. Sure, I came on your ground, but it was with Bella. It would be ignorant to kill me over something as insignificant as a territory breach."

He had a point, and the Wolves would be really stupid if they didn't realize that. They were males, but couldn't they actually think for once in their lives? Did they have the brain cells for it? I didn't know much about the anatomy of males. I didn't pay much attention to the lessons taught in that particular class. The teacher had been boring. Anyway, I figured that the Wolves were having a conversation because they started to turn and look at each other. Every once in a while, a growl or snarl would be released, but everything else remained pretty quiet. I sighed, growing impatient rather quickly. What time was it? Did I have enough time to get back to the truck, get home, and get showered? If I didn't have enough time to shower, could I at least change? It would probably get cooler tonight, and I would freeze in what I was wearing at the moment.

I tapped my foot in irritation as no answer came from Quil. It wouldn't be long now before I stormed off. Yeah, my emotions were running on a high right at the moment. It shouldn't bother me so much, I knew that. I needed to act like an adult and take control of the situation. But that nagging feeling of abandonment was still settled deep within me. It would take a while to go away and possibly even longer to forgive the people who had left me.

Quil chose that time to speak, and I was grateful. Perhaps I could actually get something productive done today after all. "Bella, we all really need to sit down at talk. Would you be willing to do it tonight?"

Would I be willing? Would it really matter? You could just make me. You were all much stronger than me. But I guessed my word did have some sort of strange power over them, if they decided to let it, of course. I nodded instead of speaking. I didn't trust my verbal filter. Quil turned to Jasper. "You give your word you won't hunt in this area?"

Jasper scoffed but answered. "I don't desire to be puppy chow. I won't hunt in the state."

Quil nodded, pleased. "Will the others be coming back?"

I stiffened at the reminder they were all gone. Sure, I was over Edward dumping me, but that didn't mean the absence of the family didn't sting still. "No, they won't be returning. In fact, I should be the only vampire in Washington for a while."

"Very well, but we'll be keeping an eye out, just in case." Quil looked at me. "We'll see you tonight, Bella."

"Don't have a fit about it, Quil, I'll be there."

Quil rolled his eyes and returned behind the tree. The brown Wolf came out in his place. I stood silently beside Jasper as the Wolves ran. As soon as I couldn't see them anymore, I turned around and promptly fell on my face. "Oomph," I exhaled. Yeah, if my mood hadn't been sour before, it was now. Oh great and mighty Earth, why did you hate people who have balance issues? Maybe I should start trying yoga. That was supposed to help you with your balance, right?

"Swan, why are you on the ground?"

Where was Buffy when you needed her? Better yet, where was a flamethrower? If I had a flamethrower, I could do the job myself. I was sure I could figure it out. All you had to do was pull the little trigger thing…okay, perhaps it was for the best I didn't have access to one. It was already bad enough Charlie hadn't trusted me with a gun since I was 10. That was a story for another time.

I flipped myself around so I was lying on my back. Jasper was standing over me, and for the first time in a while I felt imposed by him. His sheer height was enough to make someone tremble, not including his hard gaze and taunt muscles. They might not have been as large as Emmett's, but they were still a pretty good size. Swan, you were supposed to be coming back with a snarky remark, not staring at Jasper. "I decided that I liked the color brown, Whitlock."

Jasper smirked. "Couldn't you have gone about seeing it a different way? I never thought admiring a color entailed becoming physical with it."

I groaned. "Just help me up, will you?"

He shook his head but reached down to grab my extended hand. The slight buzzing occurred, but I ignored it. If Jasper didn't mention it, I wasn't going to either. I managed to stand without having to grab hold of Jasper in order to steady myself. I nodded, pleased at my accomplishment. Then I swiftly turned and started my way back to my truck. "So, if you were going to take control, why did you wait until the end?"

Jasper looked a bit confused, and I enjoyed the triumph in silence. "What do you mean, Swan?"

"Why did you wait to break out the mighty Major Whitlock at the end instead of the beginning? You had quite the point, and the Wolves would have still realized that before my words with Quil."

Jasper shrugged. "I was enjoying your words with the Wolf. You had a point, even if you were a bit too immature about it."

I glared at him. "I was 'immature about it'? How was I being immature?"

I saw him glance at me in the corner of his eyes. "You didn't have to be so loud, Bella. You also could have chosen different words. It was like you were a child scolding younger children."

"They are younger," I automatically pointed out.

Jasper sighed. "That's beside the fact, Bella. They would have been more likely to leave if you had simply stated how you felt without the added emotion."

"Would they have believed me as quickly?" I asked, trying to defend myself. I knew my actions weren't exactly ideal, but one can't always control their emotions. I had a tendency to let my emotions control my words instead of my brain, but everyone does that at some point.

"I think they would have. You could have talked with the Mutt about it more civilly if you had."

I almost jumped in glee when I saw the path clearing out into the opening. "We will never know then, I suppose. At least I saved your ass," I added.

Jasper scoffed like I expected he would. "I could have handled the Pups fine."

"Oh, sure, because you would have totally stood a chance against 8 mouths filled with razor teeth."

We reached my truck, and I unlocked it quickly. I threw my bag in the back and revved the engine. After making sure I had everything, I backed out of the parking lot and turned onto the road.

"What do you think they would do if I showed up on the Res?" Jasper asked after a few minutes of silence.

I glanced at him with a 'are you crazy' expression. "They'll tear you apart!" I exclaimed. Since Jasper had indirectly reminded me about supernatural creatures' sensitive hearing, I made a point to not raise my voice too loudly.

Jasper snickered. "I was joking, Swan. I'm not dumb," he stated off-handedly.

"I never said you were, and I didn't imply it. Anyway, it would be weird if Charlie saw you there. What would I say then? That I didn't know you were here? That I hadn't talked to you? I'm not going to lie to my Dad, Jasper. I'm not that kind of person."

Jasper looked at me blankly. "You have lied to him, Bella. You didn't tell him what we were. You haven't told him about the Wolves, have you? Doesn't that mean you lied?"

Well, if he put it that way, then I guessed it did. But I would never tell him that. "That's different, Jasper. I'm keeping secrets from him because it's better if he doesn't know. The more he knew, the more danger he would be in."

Jasper nodded. "I see your point, Swan."

Before long, I pulled up at my house. Charlie's cruiser was in the driveway still, and I parked behind it. More than likely, we would be taking my truck to get to Billy's this evening. Speaking of which…I glanced at the clock and saw it was 2:30. Good, that meant I had time to shower and change.

I turned to my passenger. "I'm going to shower and change. Do you want to stay in my room and wait for me, or do you have something else you want to do?"

Jasper shrugged. "I don't feel particularly thirsty right now, so I'll wait for you." He disappeared as soon as he was finished. Damn vampires and their super speed.

Without wasting any time, I charged up the stairs and into the bathroom. I managed to yell a hello at Charlie before I turned the shower on. I hopped in and decided to make it a quick one. Why waste time in the shower when you can spend it on your look? I wasn't conceited by any means, but I didn't mind looking good every once in a while. When I got out, however, I noticed I hadn't grabbed any clothes. So grumbling, I headed to my room with my hair in a towel and another one wrapped around my body. If Jasper was in there, he would just have to get over it. Actually, I didn't think _he_ would have a problem getting over it, but rather _I_ would.

Sure enough, my luck for that day had yet ceased to cause trouble for me. Jasper was sitting at my desk, browsing through my laptop. "Hey, what are you doing?" I questioned, offended. I had given him permission to be in my room, but he hadn't gotten permission to browse through my things. That was a completely different story.

Jasper glanced up, startled, then stared. I raised an eyebrow at him and placed my hands on my hips. "Is there a problem, Mr. Whitlock?" I asked in a condescending tone.

He shook his head as if clearing his thoughts and turned back to the computer. He remained silent, so I walked to my closet and started pulling out clothes to wear. I pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans and a flowing baby pink blouse. The blouse had a white lace pattern covering the sides and back. I grabbed the same color undergarments from my dresser then promptly returned to the bathroom. After putting the clothes on and fishtail braiding my hair, I walked back into my room. Jasper was now in the armchair.

He smirked as I closed the door behind me. "Glad to see you've got clothes on this time, Swan," he joked.

I smirked. "You seem to enjoy me without clothes on, Whitlock," I replied.

His expression was so comical that I ended up doubling over in laughter. Jasper seemed floored by my statement. His mouth would open and close like a fish's. I had never seen him loose control like that before, and I found it totally hilarious. He, however, was not in agreement. Before I stop laughing, I found myself on my back with Jasper hovering over me. I squeaked in astonishment, not only of finding myself to be on my bed in a rather compromising position but at the feral grin on Jasper's face.

"You think you're funny now, Swan, but you forget you're not the predator. You're the prey," he stated in a voice that I found to be both frightening and sexy. I was momentarily perplexed by that description. How in the world could a voice be frightening and sexy at the same time? Those two words created sort of an oxymoron. Well, no matter. The mind of Bella Swan did not need to be understood, even by the great Miss Swan herself! Great, now I just referred to myself mentally in third person. I really was in the process of losing all my marbles. Which reminds me, did I ever send those marbles that I bought a while back to Renee?

"Swan," Jasper growled, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, oh mighty Jedi Master? Hey, did you train under Yoda? You know, I had this teacher in my early years of high school that was obsessed with Star Wars? I learned a lot over the year. She was always telling us 'May the force be with you' before we took a test. It was funny. I was the only one that new most of the things she talked about. One of the girls was completely clueless, and I took it upon myself to teach her things. Did you know I liked Star Wars? Have you ever seen it? Oh my God, if you haven't, I desperately need to have a marathon with you. While we're at it, we can have a Lord of the Rings one. You look a bit like Aragorn in a way. I mean your hair is a different color entirely, but you both have wavy hair, sort of."

Jasper sighed. "Swan, you are making no sense at all."

I giggled. "No sense, I am making. Confusing you, I am. Okay, that wasn't nearly as humorous as I thought it was going to be. Maybe I should just let you talk. You know what hunts me."

Jasper stared at me blankly. "There is nothing hunting you, Swan. You do, however, have a very annoyed vampire in your vicinity at the moment. I hope you are aware of that."

I nodded and moved to sit up once he removed himself from me. Jasper laid down horizontally on the mattress with his hands behind his head. "I'll stop now, pinkie promise."

He rolled his eyes and glanced at the clock. "You know, it's 3:20. Doesn't it take you and Charlie half an hour to get to the reservation?"

As soon as he finished speaking, I heard Charlie call for me. "Bella, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah Dad," I yelled back. "I'll be down as soon as I get my shoes on!" I looked down at Jasper. "You'll be a dear and not go through my stuff like you were doing earlier, won't you?"

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I'm not a child. I know what's considered morally correct and incorrect. I was raised in a time where men didn't go through women's things, Swan. I won't touch anymore of your things."

I was pleased with his answer. I hurriedly slipped on a pair of gray Vans and headed to my door. Jasper's words made me pause. "By the way, your mum mentioned something about not receiving her marbles. What was that about?"

I huffed and slammed the door when I heard his chuckle. He had gone through my emails, the bastard. Well, I hoped he had found something worth of interest. Probably not, though.

Charlie was waiting for me at the door. "Do you want to drive?" he asked.

I nodded once. "Yeah, Dad, I don't feel like riding in the Cruiser. It gives me to the creeps."

Charlie laughed a bit and followed me out to the truck. We were soon heading to the reservation. Let the fun begin. All the little Wolfies, big and brown…no, just no Bella. I sighed, causing Charlie to look over at me with a question in his eyes. I shook my head. You didn't need to know, Dad. It wouldn't make you feel any better about me. I didn't want to end up in a psych ward, even though it was beginning to seem like a big possibility.

_**Author's Corner:**_

_**I hadn't originally planned for the Wolves to show up this soon. In my original outline, I had Jasper and Bella simply continuing to talk. The Wolves would have shown up in later chapters by Jasper barging in on the reservation after Bella. Anyway, I hoped you readers would be okay with me changing things up a bit. Bella was not afraid of the Wolves because she knew they wouldn't hurt her. They had become like a family to her before Victoria screwed everything up. She is now going to try and restore some of that closeness. The problem on the Wolves' side, though, will be whether or not they accept Jasper. Bella will begin to view him as more than just a friend, so things will get interesting. It will take a while for their relationship to become good and solid, though, so don't get your hopes up for a serious romance too soon.**_

_**I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter. I can't promise when the next one will be up, but I will try to get it up as soon as my schedule allows. **_

_**Huge thanks are in order for my reviewers. I had 6 for this chapter. (Oh, and just for future references, since I've started getting some reviews from people who either don't have an account or haven't logged in, I'll answer reviews in my Author's Corner. Another reason, if I'm being honest, is because I don't have the best Internet connection at home and usually can't respond to reviews as fast as I would like. So, here they are.) Aforementioned reviewers were Mathhias Stormcrow, jlove34, teddymonsterbear, lwofl, Curious and GracefulKlutz1983. **_

_**To Matthias Stormcrow: I'm glad you love yet another chapter. You're reviews are cherished and welcomed greatly. **_

_**To jlove34: You have great stories, and that makes me even happier that you like this one. I wish you the best success and that you enjoyed this chapter. **_

_**To teddymonsterbear: I've missed your reviews, but I'm glad you're back now. I hope this update didn't make you wait too long (even thought it probably did; so sorry). **_

_**To the guest reviewer, lwofl: I randomly thought of the chicken thing at the last minute. I realize it's a bit immature, but I wanted to add a bit of humor to a tense situation. And I plan on continuing this story until the end. **_

_**To another guest reviewer, Curious: I'm glad this story interests you. I apologize for the "bouncing around" it does, but I assure you I will work on it. I do feel like I rushed chapter 7 a bit, and I'll try to slow down without paying too much attention to detail. I agree that Bella was out of place when she was shouting, but she was in a rough situation. The Wolves had basically pushed her aside as if she didn't matter at all. That hurt her terribly, especially Jacob. They had become almost like brother and sister after the Cullens left. She could have made her point without shouting, like you pointed out, but I felt like her emotions would have overcome her at that point. I hope that you continue reading and offering your opinion. I appreciated it. **___

_**To GracefulKlutz1983: Hello! I'm so glad that you "stumbled" onto my one-shot and wanted it to be a story. I hope you enjoy this and find it to your expectations. **_

_**Also, thanks for those who have favorite-d and follow-ed this story! **_

_**All reviews are welcome as well as favorites and follows! I hope y'all have a nice day!**_

_**-Sapphire**_


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